Vol 20: #51 • TIdbits Investigates Elves • (12-15-2024) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
Read"
by Kathy Wolfe
‘Tis the season of Santa and elves! But there is much more to elves than just those said to reside at the North Pole. This week Tidbits delves into tidings of great interest to satisfy any curiosity you may have about the different kinds of these mythical little creatures.
• The history of elves has been recorded for centuries. The Old English epic poem “Beowulf” was written sometime between 700 and 1000 A.D. and spoke of “etins (giants) and elves and evil spirits that warred with God.” Ancient Norse and Germanic mythology portrayed elves as beings with magical powers who either don’t age, or age very slowly.
• Norse mythology refers to them as trolls or gnomes who are “huldufolk,” meaning “hidden folk.” They were said to dwell deep in the forests in little homes carved out of hollow trees or under the earth. A troll is typically depicted as large, ugly, and mischievous, while a gnome is a smaller, friendly creature and also a skilled craftsman.
• Folklore depicts elves with pointed ears, which
TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
(Answers on page 16)
1. LITERATURE: Which Victor Hugo novel was made into an animated Disney movie?
2. MUSIC: In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” what was the gift on the eighth day?
3. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the Kalahari Desert located?
4. HISTORY: Who was the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court?
5. BIOLOGY: What is the process called in which a nonreproductive cell divides in two?
6. MOVIES: In the movie “Elf,” what is the name of Santa’s sleigh?
7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the largest mammal on Earth?
8. U.S. STATES: Where did the first organized celebration of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) take place in the U.S.?
9. ASTRONOMY: Which planet is the smallest in our solar system?
10. TELEVISION: Which 1980s-1990s TV family sitcom had a holiday episode titled “A Very Tanner Christmas”?
(Trivia Test answers page 16)
your body
"Fearfully
As the year draws to a close, Tidbits takes a quick look at the human life from start to finish.
• The gestation period for a human baby is 266 days, almost 40 weeks. The heart begins to beat at three weeks. At the end of the first month of pregnancy, a human embryo can fit on a quarter. After three months, it can fit inside a large chicken egg. The embryo acquires fingerprints at three months. During the second trimester, the embryo becomes conscious, and begins to react to external stimuli, including lights and sounds. Half of an embryo’s birth weight occurs in the final six to eight weeks of a woman’s pregnancy.
• At birth, a female baby’s ovaries contain about 2 million eggs, of which 300,000 will survive until puberty. During the reproductive years, about 450 are released for possible fertilization.
• The teen years are when a person attempts to discover who he/she is, a period when rules are challenged, religious, political, and social matters are questioned, the desire to control one’s own life increases, and many things are done without thinking first. It’s a time of concern for body image – nearly half of all high school girls diet to lose weight. The brain continues to develop and mature until the mid-to-late 20s. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for planning, prioritizing, and good decisionmaking, is the last to mature.
• What’s the definition of “middle age?” Millennials (those born between 1980 and 1995) consider middle age to be between 35 and 50 years old. Generation X (born 1965-1980) say 45 to 55, while baby boomers (born 1946-1964) say middle age is 45 to 60.
• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines middle age as “the period of life from about 45 to about 64.” And what age is considered “old?” A recent survey of 2,000 Americans declared that 57 is the age of being “officially old.”
• By the time the average person is 70 years old, his or her heart has beat at least 2.8 billion times.
• Aging isn’t for the faint of heart. As the heart ages, less blood is pumped with each beat.
Staying in top physical condition can slow this decline, but a sedentary person’s heart pumping ability begins to slow as early as age 30. By age 60, a person loses about half of their taste buds and 40% of the ability to smell. Taste buds can be preserved by avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and hotly seasoned foods.
• The current life expectancy in the U.S. in 2024 is 79.25 years. In 1860, that figure was 39.4 years! What do we do during our 79 years? The average person spends about 26 years, approximately one-third of our lives, sleeping. We also spend 7 years trying to get to sleep! About 8.3 years is expended in front of the TV, which equates to more than 72,750 hour-long programs. If you’re moderately active, taking around 7,500 steps a day, if you reach 80, you’ll have walked approximately 110,000 miles (177,028 km). Those folks who exercise regularly walk farther, but even they spend twice as much time on social media and six times longer watching TV than exercising.
• We stand in lines about 235 days of our lives.
• “Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” —Mahatma Gandhi
1. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
2. Eight maids a-milking.
3. Southern Africa.
and wonderfully made"
(from page one)
give them a keen sense of hearing, able to hear sounds others cannot. “Prose Edda,” a 13thcentury Icelandic textbook of poems classified them as light elves who were fair, and dark elves who were “darker than pitch.” Some writings described male elves as little old men, while the elf maidens were young and beautiful. Other legends claim that elves are shoemakers or cobblers.
DIFFERING CHARACTERISTICS
• Different story lines depict elves in various ways. Some portray them as kind, benevolent beings who help humans, guiding or assisting them, while others describe elves as malicious and mischievous, playing tricks on humans. High Elves are the noble and wise ones, while the Wood Elves are the ones who love nature and the forest. Dark Elves are the mean and mysterious ones.
• Some elves are to be feared because of their volatile temper, quick to get revenge if they felt harmed or offended in any way by a human. They might inflict illness, cruel tricks, or frightening schemes, steal babies, or hold people in a spell for years at a time. Babies born with birthmarks or deformities in Old Norse times were said to be “elf-marked.”
• Many legends represent elves as extraordinarily skillful with the bow and arrow, archers without equal. This led to their depiction as legendary warriors, honorable fighters skilled in battle. Warrior elves are characters in several modern video games – Warhammer, Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Heroes of Might and Magic, and RuneScape.
• In his 1595 comedy play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” William Shakespeare represented elves as less cruel and more mischievous. Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is more of a jokester and trickster in this play.
• Although elves have been described as fairy-like beings, elves are not the same as fairies. Elves
are their own distinct classification and shouldn’t be grouped with other mythological beings such as fairies, leprechauns, goblins, gnomes, dwarfs, or sprites.
• J.R. Tolkien researched Scandinavian folklore when writing “Lord of the Rings,” and made his elves tall and slender, no less than six feet tall, typically fair-skinned with golden hair, and lovers of nature. The females were far more beautiful than any human being. They were immortal and don’t age, but could be killed in battle, with the spirits of those dead elves being transferred to the Halls of Mandos in Valinor.
• Tolkien began creating the Elvish languages of Middle-Earth as early as age 18, by then already familiar with Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Gothic, Old Norse, and Old English. He became a philologist, one who studies historic oral and written languages. Tolkien developed several elvish languages, including Quenya and Sindarin, each with their own script, grammar, conjugation, and vocabulary.
CHRISTMAS ELVES
• Iceland holds the tradition of the Yule Lads, 13 elves who come to homes each night for the 13 days leading up to Christmas Eve. Some carry out pranks such as slamming doors or stealing food. If children leave their shoes out by the windows, they will find small gifts in them each morning. Tradition has been modified over the centuries, as the early legends claimed that the Yule Lads might eat children!
A hobbit, created by novelist J.R.R. Tolkien, is not an elf, but rather a small, hairy variety of humanity, standing about half the height of the average human. Bilbo Baggins is the name of the title character in Tolkien's 1937 novel, "The Hobbit."
• When did elves become associated with Santa Claus? In the early 17th century, the European legend of St. Nicholas made its way to American folklore. The Dutch referred to Father Christmas as Sinterklaas. In 1823, Clement Clarke Moore published his legendary poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more commonly known today as “The Night Before Christmas.” In the verse, Moore referred to St. Nick himself as “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf.”
• In 1856, Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women,” penned a book called “Christmas Elves,” a book whose manuscript has been lost and never published. The following year, “Harper’s Bazaar” published a poem which spoke of how Santa “keeps a great many elves at work, all working with all their might, to make a
4C 6x disc.
10, 2024 Vol. 20 - No.46
million of pretty things…to fill the stockings…” The 1873 Christmas issue of “Godey’s Lady’s Book” featured an illustration of Santa Claus surrounded by toys and elves.
• American painter Norman Rockwell provided the cover illustration for the December 1922 issue of “The Saturday Evening Post,” artwork that portrayed Santa surrounded by eight tiny elves. Walt Disney released a short movie in 1932 entitled “Santa’s Workshop,” that featured bearded singing elves dressed in blue, brushing reindeer teeth, preparing Santa’s sleigh, and helping Santa check out the Naughty & Nice list.
• North Pole elves have many duties – helping Santa design and make toys, feeding reindeer, care of the sleigh, and guarding the secret
a bow?
Elves: Turn to page 15
1. What is the name for a female elf?
2. What "Lord of the Rings elf was especially skilled with
chocolate melt well.
By Lucie Winborne
* Montana’s Flathead Lake looks shallow due to its crystal-clear water, but is actually 370 feet deep.
* The expiration date on bottled water is for the bottle, not the water.
* In 2004, farmers in India used Pepsi and Coca-Cola instead of pesticides because they were cheaper and got the job done just as well. Not surprisingly, Pepsi and Coca-Cola strongly disagreed.
* After eating a large meal, lions can sleep for up to 24 hours straight.
* People used to use bread to erase pencil marks, until Edward Naine accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of breadcrumbs in 1770 and -- voila! -- decided to start selling rubber erasers.
* Two Bosnians had been talking in online chatrooms for a while when they decided it was time to meet in person. They discovered they were a married couple who had been cheating on each other with each other. They ended up divorcing.
* One French cafe, La Petite Syrah, charges 7 euros for a coffee to rude customers but only 1.40 euro to patrons who are polite to the waitstaff. The cafe is located, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Nice.
* Penguin egg whites turn clear when they’re boiled.
* Michael Jackson was said to request that his wine be served in Diet Coke cans whenever he was on a flight. He didn’t want his kids to see him drinking alcohol.
* Saudi Arabia once held a Women’s Rights Conference that didn’t include a single woman attendee.
* Those who study such things say that the word “daisy” started out as “day’s eye”and was shortened over the years. Similarly, “God be with you” became “goodbye” and “whole be thou” became “hello.” ***
Thought for the Day: “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
--Benjamin Franklin
(c) 2024 King Features Synd.,
by Mary Hunt
by Mary Hunt
Last-Minute Holiday Gifts
Whether “last minute” for you means any time after Thanksgiving or 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, it’s nice to have a repertoire of standby gifts that don’t require expensive overnight shipping. My standbys are edible gifts -- decadent treats that offer my love and best wishes for the season.
by Mary Hunt
By their very nature, edible gifts are often best when left to the last minute because you can always argue that fresh is best. These quickfix favorites require little if any culinary skill.
Tip: I love the clear glassine gift bags from craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby to gift these super fun, delicious, yummy gifts. You’ll find them to be very affordable and so cute and festive; adding a bow and a tag seals the deal!
***
HOLIDAY HASH
Combine in a very big bowl:
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Cheerios
2 cups small pretzels
2 cups salted peanuts
1 bag (12 ounces) plain M&Ms
1 bag (12 ounces) peanut M&Ms
In a separate bowl, melt two (12-ounce) bags white melting wafers or white chocolate chips according to the package instructions*. Be careful to not overcook, as these chips burn quickly. Pour the melted white chocolate over the mixture. With a strong long-handled wooden spoon, toss well to coat.
Spread the hash out on waxed paper and let rest until the chocolate hardens. Break up into small pieces. Store in an airtight container or pile into gift bags. If you get the red and green M&Ms, you’ll have a very festive-looking result. This makes a lot. You should be able to make 10 to 15 gifts depending on the size of your containers.
***
ALMOST MOST ANYTHING
Get big bags of nuts, candies and other similar treats. Dump them into a large bowl and mix well. Repackage into smaller holiday containers, mugs or bags of your choice. Embellish and tie with small ribbon and you’re done.
***
CHOCOLATE-COVERED PRETZELS
Melt your choice of wafers, chocolate bars or chips (*see note) according to package instructions. Dip pretzels of any size or shape. Place on wax paper to harden. You’re done.
*Chocolate Melting Notes: Melting wafers are chocolate formulated for making candy. They are inexpensive, easy to use and available at grocery stores, cake and candy supply stores and craft stores. Chocolate bars and bakers’
Chocolate chips, however, are formulated to resist melting. You can melt them, but it’s tricky. Stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil per 1 ounce of chips. Microwave on medium power at 30-second intervals.
***
CRUNCH ‘N MUNCH
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine
Pinch of salt
4 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, or Crispix cereal OR 3 cups bran or Wheat Chex.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Melt butter or margarine in large skillet. Add cereal and mix well. Heat over medium heat, stirring until coated (5 to 6 minutes).
Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the cereal, and continue stirring until well coated. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture and heat several more minutes. Spread on a layer of wax paper or foil to cool. Yield: 3 to 4 cups.
This recipe multiplies well if you have a large skillet. 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
In the words of Buddy the Elf, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Tidbits spreads Christmas cheer with these facts about the 2003 Christmas classic “Elf.”
• When an infant crawled into Santa’s bag of toys, he ended up at the North Pole being raised as Buddy by elves. When Papa Elf revealed his true identity to the grown-up Buddy, the human elf sets out for New York City to find his biological father, a gruff businessman ignorant of Buddy’s existence
• Although the fictional setting of “Elf” was the city’s Gimbel’s Department Store, that retailer had actually been closed since 1987 after serving NYC for 77 years. The 1947 Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street” featured scenes shot at the original Gimbel’s.
• “Elf’s” scenes were shot in Macy’s, a chain that had been approached for filming. Macy’s allowed scenes to be shot in the store, but wouldn’t allow their name to be used because they didn’t want their in-store Santa to be revealed as a fake, maintaining the image that the
actual Santa visits their store every Christmas.
• The scenes of Manhattan, including Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and the apartment building home of Buddy’s father, were shot on location. Many scenes were filmed on sound stages in Vancouver, Canada, built in an abandoned mental asylum called Riverview Hospital, a location used in several horror films.
December, 2002. The final budget came in at $33 million and grossed $223 million at the box office.
ADVERTISING PROOF
Changes
• It might seem that computer engineering was used to make Will Ferrell look bigger than the elves at the North Pole, but rather two different sets were built for those scenes. One large scene was created for the “elves,” to make them appear small, while a smaller set made the 6’3” Will Ferrell appear much larger.
• The filming of Buddy’s first day in New York actually took place on the last day of the shoot. To obtain the stunned looks of the pedestrians, the director, a cameraman, and a costumed Ferrell drove around Manhattan, and Ferrell periodically jumped out of the car to mingle with random real-life people as the cameras rolled.
• Ten years later, Will Ferrell was offered and declined $29 million, close to the entire budget of the original film, for doing a sequel. Ferrell felt the foundation of the movie was “rehashed” and that he wouldn’t have felt good promoting the film with true sincerity.
Inland Buyers
• The Lincoln Tunnel and the 59th Street bridge were both still open to the public, and the sight of Ferrell in his tights and waistcoat as he walked through traffic created several minor collisions among distracted motorists.
• Buddy cheerfully said that the four main elf food groups are “candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.” To illustrate this point, Will Ferrell had to eat spaghetti covered with maple syrup. He also had to devour pastries, hundreds of cotton candy balls, and massive amounts of candy. Unfortunately, the sugar overload led to migraines and sleeplessness for Ferrell. The spaghetti scene had to be re-shot because Ferrell vomited on the first try.
• Can you image Buddy the Elf played by anyone but Will Ferrell? When screenwriter David Berenbaum began the screenplay in 1993, he visualized Jim Carrey as the jovial elf.
• Delays piled on top of one another and it was nearly 10 years before the film was slated for production. By that time, Carrey was occupied by other projects and relinquished the role.
• Zooey Deschanel was also not the first choice for the role of department store worker Jovie, who became Buddy’s crush. She was chosen when the first choice actress dropped out.
• “Elf” took three months to film, beginning in
by Dana Jackson
Q: I just read that Robert De Niro is going to star in a TV series soon. Has he ever done one before or just movies? -- K.E.
against Bill O’Reilly. He also wrote the book “Donald Trump v. The United States,” which was published in 2020. “Zero Day” is his first TV script.
***
Q: I love watching “A Christmas Story” marathons when they show it every year on TBS. I know the actor who played Ralphie has gone on to do other things in show business, but whatever happened to Ralphie’s younger brother? -- M.S.
(“Hillbilly Elegy”) as an FBI agent working in the basement of the White House, it’s already been renewed for a third season before the second has even premiered. Look for season two on Netflix, beginning on Jan. 23, 2025.
* * *
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.
A: According to TV Guide, two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro was “pretty much Hollywood’s last A-list holdout” when it came to starring in a regular television role. The series that lured him away from motion pictures is “Zero Day,” a six-episode miniseries that will premiere on Netflix on Feb. 20, 2025. It also stars Emmy nominee Connie Britton (“Nashville”) and Oscar nominees Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”) and Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”).
While the conspiracy/political thriller will be De Niro’s first contract role in a series, he has guest-starred on a few others, playing himself on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock” and the British series “Extras.” In “Zero Day,” which he also produces, De Niro will play the former leader of the free world, who faces a global cyberattack.
One of the creative minds behind the series is Michael Schmidt, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the sexual harassment case
A: Peter Billingsley, who played young Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” is one of the few success stories involving a child actor in Hollywood. As an adult, he’s gone on to produce and direct several projects, even making (and starring in) “A Christmas Story Christmas” -- the 2022 sequel to the original.
Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin, who were both brilliant as Ralphie’s parents, have since passed away, but their characters live on each year when “A Christmas Story” airs on TBS, TNT and Max.
Ralphie’s younger brother, Randy, who ate mashed potatoes like a “little piggy,” was played by Ian Petrella. He continued working as a child actor in the 1980s and most recently worked in animation and puppetry, according to Entertainment Weekly. Petrella reprised the role of Randy in “A Christmas Story Christmas,” along with actors Scott Schwartz as Flick (whose tongue infamously adhered to an icy pole in the original) and R. D. Robb as Schwartz (who laughed at Flick’s predicament).
***
Q: Is “The Night Agent” returning for another season? My wife and I really enjoyed the first one. -- K.A.
A: Yes, “The Night Agent,” an actionthriller series based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quirk, proved to be a big hit on Netflix during its first season. Starring Gabriel Basso
(Go Figure solution page 14)
Depositphotos
Robert De Niro (Upcoming in “Zero
Holiday Eggnog
Rich, creamy -- and safe, because it starts with cooked eggs.
12 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup dark rum (optional)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg plus additional for sprinkling
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1. In heavy 4-quart saucepan, with wire whisk, beat eggs, sugar and salt until blended. Gradually stir in 1 quart milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon well, about 25 minutes (mixture should be about 160 F, but do not boil or it will curdle).
2. Pour custard into large bowl; stir in rum, if using, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg and remaining 1 quart milk. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours.
3. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream until soft peaks form. With wire whisk, gently fold whipped cream into custard mixture.
4. To serve, pour eggnog into chilled 5-quart punch bowl; sprinkle with nutmeg for garnish. Makes about 16 cups or 32 servings.
Each serving: About 125 calories, 5g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 7g total fat (4g saturated), 0g fiber, 98mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium
Shortbread Bites for Holidays
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (no substitutions), cold, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon red and green nonpareils or sprinkles or 1/2 cup mini baking bits
1. Heat oven to 325 F.
2. In food processor with knife blade
attached, pulse flour and sugar until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in medium bowl. With hand, gently knead in nonpareils or baking bits until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.
3. On lightly floured waxed paper, pat dough into 8-by-5-inch rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. Cut dough into 1/2-inch squares. Place squares, 1/2-inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
4. Bake cookies 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week, or in freezer up to 3 months.
Each serving: About 40 calories, 3g total fat (2g saturated), 4g total carbohydrate.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In food processor with knife blade attached, puree beans with yogurt, lemon juice, oil, anchovy paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper until smooth. Spoon dip into small container with tight-fitting lid. Can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups dip.
ADVERTISING PROOF
Final Changes DUE: 5:00
White Bean Dip
With just a hint of salty anchovy paste, this pureed white bean dip will keep guests guessing as they come back for more.
1 can (15 to 19 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Young adults face an unprecedented range of threats today, from cyber dangers to physical violence. To help them navigate these risks, Dale Bendler, a former U.S. Marine and CIA officer, offers practical safety strategies grounded in decades of experience in some of the world’s most dangerous environments.
As a father of three, Bendler’s mission is personal: to equip teenagers and young adults with tools to stay safe in a complex world.
Key areas of focus in Bendler’s training include:
Cybersecurity
Bendler educates participants on risks like mobile phone theft, cyberbullying, sextortion, and unsafe online dating practices. He also addresses emerging threats, including AI-driven scams.
Active Shooter Scenarios
vides tips on spotting signs of unrest and staying safe in chaotic situations.
Transportation Safety
Whether using rideshare services or public transportation, Bendler advises on avoiding carjackings, road rage, and staged accidents.
Stalking
If someone suspects they are being followed, Bendler offers strategies to stay safe and respond effectively.
“I may never know if I’ve saved someone’s life,” Bendler says. “Maybe they avoided the wrong rideshare or left a party because of a bad feeling. Knowing I’ve made a difference is enough.”
The Stay Safe Digital Academy
After a distinguished 37-year career with the CIA, including 20 years overseas in high-risk environments, Bendler now chairs the Stay Safe Digital Academy, a veteran-owned organization in Miami.
The academy offers in-person training and an online course, YOUNG ADULT SAFETY, designed to help young people and their families avoid trouble both online and in the real world. The course focuses on proactive strategies to enhance safety awareness and empower individuals to respond confidently to challenges.
About Dale Bendler
With active shooter incidents rising, particularly on college campuses, Bendler teaches the Run, Hide, Fight protocol to help young adults make life-saving decisions during emergencies.
Physical Assaults
While avoidance is key, Bendler prepares participants to protect themselves and escape dangerous situations safely if necessary.
Drink Spiking
Bendler highlights the dangers of drink spiking, especially with fentanyl-laced substances, teaching young adults how to recognize and avoid these risks.
Demonstrations and Crowds
Protests can escalate quickly. Bendler pro-
Bendler holds a BA from Rutgers University and an MA from the Naval War College. His military background includes graduating from elite programs such as Ranger and Airborne Schools. Throughout his CIA career, he earned numerous awards and held leadership roles.
Course Information
The one-hour YOUNG ADULT SAFETY course is available at StaySafeDigitalAcademy.com for $89, with a $10 discount using the coupon code “TIDBITS.” Parents and grandparents can purchase the course for teens, college-bound students, or young adults living on their own. Recipients will receive immediate access to start learning and taking steps to protect themselves. Don’t delay, give the gift of safety and peace of mind this holiday season, and empower the young adults in your life to face modern-day dangers with confidence.
NEXT WEEK in
TIDBITS BAKES AND BREAKS
BREAD
12/15 Bill of Rights Day
12/16 Zionism Day
12/17 Wright Brothers Day
12/18 National Re-Gifting Day
12/19 Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
12/20 Play Board Games Day
12/21 Winter Solstace
"You
-- Abraham Lincoln
Dog Talk with Uncle Matty
By Matthew Margolis
Little Dog, Big Problem
“My husband and I took in a male Chihuahua a couple of months ago. We were told that Lucky was pretty good-natured, but did have a history of biting. He came from a home that included a girl with Down syndrome, who apparently hit and kicked him. He reportedly bit this girl and also her mother.
“Lucky warmed up to my husband by day two and to me by day five. When he is around my father and son-in-laws, he will climb up into their laps. But they have to use caution when petting him, or he will attempt to bite them. He will have nothing to do with my daughter or with any other females who come into the home. Usually, he just barks and growls at them. One of my daughters, though, has to be careful if she gets too close. He will attempt to bite her.
“Just last week, he began charging at her and anyone else who entered the house. Because of his assertive aggression, my husband or I have to hold him or put him in his pin when others are around. He bit me yesterday when I picked him up to answer the front door. We now tell him to ‘go lie down.’ He will still attempt to bite, though, before going to his pin.
“Last weekend when my niece was visiting, Lucky walked out of my bedroom with me, saw her standing in the dining room, and ran and bit her. We have a 10-month-old granddaughter, and now we are thinking we can’t trust him around her.
“We also have a 6-year-old female Chihuahua, as adorable as can be, and Lucky has started showing aggression toward her. She defends herself, but I can tell she’s getting tired of it. Can we break him of this behavior, or should we give him up?”
Three things come to mind when I read this letter:
1) People will tolerate almost anything from a little dog.
2) These people knew Lucky was aggressive and adopted him anyway.
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it ...” Remember that quote, from the “Mission: Impossible” TV show? The show (19661973) tasked members of the I.M. squad with stopping sinister enemy forces. The job always seemed impossible, but the crack team always managed to get it done.
That’s our challenge for the New Year. We need to thwart the “enemy forces” who are the persistent scammer-schemers, dedicated to breeching our firewalls and passwords by any means possible to steal our money, our identification and our peace of mind.
Some ideas for staying safe:
Ask your senior center to host a seminar about scams aimed at seniors.
Do NOT click on links in email or text messages from unknown senders.
Do NOT answer the phone if you don’t know who it is. If a caller says they’re from your bank, ask what they want, hang up, and immeditely call your bank to see if someone on their
The Art of DESIGN
by Joseph Publillones
Pillow Talk
Most men cringe when they hear their wives guffaw over the pillows at so and so’s house. Pillows can drive one crazy...because there is so much that can be done with decorative pillows.
These accessories are the final touch to any sofa, club chair or chaise-lounge. Decorative pillows made from beautifully woven fabrics and trimmed with beautifully tailored details can make a nondescript blah sofa or chair more interesting. Adding layers of pillows establishes the tone of the decor. Pillows can be bought ready-made at certain department stores or can be ”custom made” or “made-to-order” with your own fabrics to play off your decor.
The style of pillows you decide to choose will affect the style of your room. Contemporary pillows are usually simple in geometry and may have what is called in the industry a simple knife-edge or self welting as the edge of a pillow. These are simple edges with no trim or cording.
staff really did call you.
Don’t give out any information over the phone, no matter who it is. The IRS, Medicare or Social Security are not going to call you to ask for your account numbers or threaten to have you arrested for some made-up reason.
If a caller asks, “Can you hear me?” never say “yes.” That one word will be recorded and give them permission to authorize charges on your credit card, or to make a payment. Just hang up
If a company claims you’re having a virus problem with your computer and wants access to fix it, immediately hang up.
Never announce on social media that you’re going away on vacation. It alerts thieves that your house will be empty.
Go online and search for scams against seniors. Become familiar with all the tricks thieves use to get you to let down your guard.
Learn about the red flags for the grandparent scam, the lottery scam, the counterfeit check scam, the undelivered package scam ... there are just so many of them, and they rob seniors of billions of dollars each year.
Make your goal for 2025 to not fall for any of these scams. It’s not an impossible mission!
* * *
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.
Turkish corners, edges or ruffles lend an old world appeal.
Of course pillows can be expensive. All the elements of a pillow are variables in the cost: fabric, type of fills which can vary from synthetic to feather or down, anti-allergenic,\ and even moldresistant outdoor fill, trims, and labor. Custom pillows can go into the hundreds of dollars, even more so when layering two, four or six pillows per sofa.
I’m a bit extravagant when it comes to buying fabrics, but sometimes you need a punch of luxury. Sometimes it pays to splurge on one item, and throw all you can at it. A way to bring cost down and also have flexibility in decor is to mix and match the fabrics. A feature or more expensive fabric for the front, and a contrasting less expensive fabric for the backside of the pillow.
A way to bring interest to the pillows is to choose either textured fabrics, printed or boldly colored fabrics that can add that pop-factor to the contemporary interiors.
Pillows to complement traditional decor are in a category onto themselves. Traditional or vintage can mean a lot of things. From vintage fabrics, antique tapestries, silk, and velvets exude an air of sophistication and tradition. Crafted items such as needlepoints, lace, medallions, cords and tassels can edge your pillows. Also
Some see decorative pillows as an unnecessary burden, but realize that pillows are important. They are there to add comfort to your existing upholstered items and your guests, which may need more or less back support. In addition, the pillows add a decorative layer to your project that can say you have left no detail left to chance.
For those who may want to take the ready-made route, a word of advice is not to buy all your pillows from the same store. Mixing and matching pillows from different resources will give your sofa a more personal touch. Generally, this is a more cost conscious approach. I also advise to buy a variety of sizes of pillows: a pair of large pillows, maybe another pair of smaller square pillows, and an odd sized or lumbar pillow for the mix. * * * 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
Why would a person expose people they love to this kind of treatment? What is it about people that makes them believe they deserve to live like this?
Recently, I spoke with a woman who had taken to walking her dog while pushing her baby in its stroller. The dog, however, lunges at everybody who walks by. This is fear aggression, and it’s a problem. Sooner or later, that stroller will be tipped over. And dog aggression, left unchecked, gets worse, not better.
After talking for a while, the woman confessed that she felt the dog’s behavior problems were a reflection of her. She said, “It means I’m a bad person.”
Why can’t it simply be a dog with a problem? Why can’t we see these situations for what they are? In both of these cases, the safety of a child is being threatened by the presence of a dog with a behavior problem.
When baby’s on the way, most parents make a big to-do of baby-proofing the home. By the time the kid’s on the verge of crawling, every room is thoroughly childproofed. Yet in too many of these same households, a little dog with a big problem is given free reign to terrorize the inhabitants.
Sometimes bad people create bad dogs. But many times good people just need to admit that their dog needs professional help or a more appropriate home.
Woof! Cody’s Corner (from page 9)
Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis is the co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and the host of the PBS series “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com.
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
by Tom Margenau
You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto!
Every once in a while, I will use a word or phrase -- with the most innocent of intentions -- that nevertheless ends up driving some people nuts. Well, if not “nuts,” it at least makes them irate enough to send me an email voicing their anger with my language choices. I’ve saved some up, and here they are today.
Q: It really gets my goat when you use the term “Social Security checks.” Don’t you know that no one gets a paper check anymore?
A: Actually, for a variety of reasons, a couple hundred thousand people still get paper Social Security checks. But that’s neither here nor there. I occasionally use the term “Social Security check” interchangeably with the term “Social Security benefit.” (Although check out the next question about how even that term upsets some people!)
I suppose I could religiously refer to someone’s “Social Security direct deposit payment.” But that can be a little bit stilted and awkward. So I think if, every once in a while, I talk about a person’s Social Security check, my readers will know I’m not referring to a paper check mailed to them every month but rather to the payment that shows up monthly in their bank account.
Q: I hate when you use the term “Social Security benefit.” I worked hard and paid lots of taxes in return for the Social Security money I get every month. I am not getting a “benefit” from the government. I earned it!
A: I am not trying to imply anything negative or degrading when I refer to Social Security “benefits.” It’s just a commonly used term for the money that Social Security beneficiaries get every month from the government. Uh-oh! I just said “beneficiaries.”
Q: You should not be using the term “Social Security account.” That implies some kind of banking relationship. The government is not my bank. They are not holding my money in an account. As we all know, the government has stolen every nickel of money ever collected in Social Security taxes, and they are just repaying us with made-up money from an empty U.S. Treasury.
A: I’ll get back to your allegation of stolen Social Security funds in a minute, but first let me deal with the word “account.”
Once again, I’m not trying to imply anything by using the word. I simply use the word “account” interchangeably with the work “record.” I think you’ll accept the fact that you do have a “record” with the Social Security Administration. For example, they maintain a record of your earnings while you are working and then they maintain a record of your monthly payments once you start receiving benefits.
Also, if you go to the SSA’s website, you will see that you can open up a “MyAccount” site
to help you access all kinds of personal services associated with your Social Security account. Oops. Should I have said “Social Security records” or “Social Security files?”
Now back to your stolen money allegation. I just don’t have the space in today’s column to explain Social Security financing. If you really want to understand the issue, get my book “Social Security Simple and Smart” and read the chapter called “Myths and Facts About Social Security Financing.” In a nutshell, every dime ever collected in Social Security taxes is immediately converted into U.S. treasury notes. And some of those notes are redeemed (with interest) every month to pay all benefits due that month. The remaining notes make up the Social Security trust funds.
Q: It really gets my goat when I hear you, and many politicians, refer to Social Security as an entitlement. I worked all my life and paid Social Security taxes all my life. How can they call that an “entitlement?”
A: They can call it that because Social Security is an “entitlement” -- literally. And I think you’ve got to blame popular culture, not politicians, for abusing the term.
Social Security is an entitlement in not only the literal but also the legal sense of the term. Social Security is Title 2 of the Social Security Act. Medicare is Title 18 -- and other programs make up other titles of the Social Security law. So that’s where the root word “title” comes from.
Once you meet all the qualifications for Social Security benefits (having enough work credits, being the right age, etc.) then you are considered “eligible” for benefits. But when you actually file a claim for benefits and get approved, you are legally “entitled” to those benefits.
So that is what makes Social Security an “entitlement” program. And for that matter, any other government program for which you have to meet certain eligibility criteria and then sign an ap-
1. The book of Magi is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither
2. Where did the angel Gabriel appear to Mary saying, "Blessed art thou among women"? a) Nazareth b) Bethlehem c) Jericho d) Bathesda
3. With perhaps two different biblical answers, who was the father of Joseph? a) Jacob/Heli b) Gideon/Ishmael c) Solomon/Nahum d) Samuel/Issac
4. Which Old Testament prophet predicted Jesus would be born in Bethlehem? a) Amos b) Obadiah c) Micah d) Isaiah
5. How did Mary and Joseph travel on their journey to Bethlehem? a) Camel b) Donkey c) On foot d) Bible not specific
6. Where was Jesus located when the wise men (Magi) presented him with gifts? a) House b) Manger c) Temple d) Tent
(Answers on page 16)
comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com
plication and get approved for benefits is also an “entitlement” program.
But popular culture has given the term a bad name. Many folks have started using the word to imply some kind of government handout, such as welfare or food stamps. Actually, welfare and food stamps are also “entitlement” programs because you have to meet certain eligibility criteria and file a formal application to become “entitled” to those benefits, too.
It’s just too bad the name has been given such a stigma. There is nothing wrong with being an “entitlement” program. It’s just a legal term.
Q: In one of your recent columns, you used the term, “OMG!” That is using our Lord’s name in vain and is an affront to me and all good Christians. You should be ashamed of yourself!
A: Oh, my goodness (OMG), I had no idea I was committing a sin!!
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easyto-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. dicate website at www.creators.com.
Liver Specialist Recommends Removing Cyst Growing in Size
DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with several liver cysts over 15 years ago. My primary doctor and I followed the growth of the cysts by ultrasound, and one is increasing in size. We did an MRI with and without contrast to take a look at the cyst. The radiologist stated that the cyst looked “complex” and, for a lack of a better word, unusual.
A liver specialist’s consult revealed that we could remove it if I wanted to. The doctor stated that he just had a patient who had a cyst, and it was cancerous. He felt that it may be best to remove it, but it’s not urgent to do so.
I would appreciate your take on this situation. -- L.S.
ANSWER: Simple liver cysts are common, and even when they are large, they do not need to be removed unless they cause symptoms. However, any other cyst than a simple one needs to be carefully evaluated. There are many possible causes, including various types of cancer, especially a mucinous cystic neoplasm, which can be associated with invasive cancer.
I looked at both the ultrasound and MRI reports you sent, and although it seemed to me that the radiologists thought this was likely a simple cyst with some bleeding, they could not be sure. Furthermore, the growth in the size of the cyst is concerning.
In some cases, it’s reasonable to wait and redo the scans in 6-12 months when the risk of a cancerous cyst is low. However, since the liver specialist (who has much more experience than I do) is concerned enough to recommend surgery, I don’t understand why you would want to wait. I suspect the surgery will prove that it was a benign cyst, but you’ll probably sleep better at night once you know for certain.
Diabetes Prevention Program looked at this very issue. Subjects in the study (who averaged 51 years of age and were overweight with prediabetes) were treated with metformin, an intensive lifestyle-behavioral-change program that aimed for a low-fat diet and 150 minutes of exercise per week, or a placebo.
The diet and exercise group had the best response, decreasing the rate of new diabetes by 58% compared to the placebo group. However, the metformin group also had a benefit, with a 31% decrease in the rate of new diabetes diagnoses.
Personally, I recommend both. Metformin does help a bit with weight loss, but taking it along with some diet changes and exercise would likely have a much better response than metformin alone. We don’t recommend a low-fat diet anymore, instead emphasizing whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and very few processed foods. A registered dietician would be a valuable partneare even more effective at preventing diabetes, but they are very expensive and often not covered by insurance.
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.
VETERANS POST
by Freddie Groves
The OIG Always Comes Through
Things are going to be different in 2025. If there’s one thing I hope, it’s that the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General isn’t hit with any budget or staffing reductions. As time goes on we need them more than ever to dig out, investigate and expose all the problems in the VA.
The PACT Act of 2022, for example, required screenings for toxic exposures -- as well as training for the VA medical staff to do those screenings. Within a short time, screenings had been done on 4 million veterans out of the 9 million who were enrolled in VA health care. That’s approximately 45% of the total.
by Freddie Groves
Training for staff, however, didn’t come close. When additional training was required, only 21.4% of staff completed it, which means that a lot of veterans were screened by staff who hadn’t done all of their training.
Then there is the matter of communication that the VA OIG exposed: A “package manager” computer program at the VA bundles up the documents for a veteran’s claims and then sends them off to a printer. The VA OIG discovered that, because nobody was paying attention to the problem, over 2 million packages weren’t printed ... because nobody hit the “send” button.
The surgery is normally done laparascopically, and although it’s usually a very safe and effective surgery, there is always a small risk for complications. You should speak with a surgeon. ***
Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.
Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.
Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com
Bill LeGrave
DEAR DR. ROACH: Do you have any comments on the use of metformin for weight loss and prediabetes? I am a 57-year-old woman. -- B.S.
Rolfing in the Desert (1 of 6) 1/8 pg BW 6x disc. December 15, 2024 Vol. 20 - No. 51
ANSWER: That’s one question I can answer based on very good data. The National
In a series of 10 sessions, Rolfing® actually changes the way your body is structured. You become straighter, taller, more graceful, flexible and free-moving. Possibly many aches and pains will disappear. How does this actually happen?
ROLFING:® How Does it Work?
We manipulate connective tissue called fascia, a type of body tissue that holds the body together and gives it shape. Fascial planes shape broad areas of the body. Dr. Rolf’s discovery was that if you put certain kinds of pressure on fascia, the shape of the tissue will change in a lasting way. She worked with a very firm level of pressure. Since then, we have found that lighter pressure combined with your movement makes the body reshaping occur quicker. Call to schedule an appointment or for a free consultation:
The veterans, therefore, did not receive the communications from the VA, which might have been asking for more evidence for a claim to be processed or notification about a claim decision and information about options for responding to that decision.
Equally valuable are the frauds that the OIG nails. A recent scam involved a pharmaceutical company that offered a particular test kit, claiming that the kit could diagnose a certain condition. Then they were able to push the very expensive therapy drug they produced for that condition. Kickbacks were involved, of course. The company ended up paying $47 million for their scam.
Keep your fingers crossed. In a perfect world, the VA OIG will maintain an adequate budget and staffing. Doubling it would be better.
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.
M.D.
-- by Jim Miller
What Happens to Your Debt When You Die?
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Can my kids inherit my debt after I die? I have taken on a lot of credit card debt over the past ten years or so, and I’m worried that my son and daughter will get stuck with it when I die. -- Indebted Senior
Dear Indebted: In most cases when a person with debt dies, it’s their estate, not their survivors, that is legally responsible. Here’s what you should know.
Debt After Death
When you die, your estate – which consists of the stuff you own while you’re alive (property, investments and cash) – will be responsible for paying your debts. If you don’t have enough ready cash available to cover your debts, your kids will have to sell your assets and pay off your creditors with the proceeds.
Whatever is left over is passed along to your heirs as dictated by the terms of your will, if you have one. If you don’t have a will, the intestacy laws of the state you reside in will determine how your estate will be distributed. The state's decision may not at all be how you would want it done, so I advise you to have your wishes legally drawn up in a will -- now.
If, however, you die broke, or there isn’t enough money left over to pay your “unsecured debts” – credit cards, medical bills, personal loans – then your estate is declared insolvent, and your creditors will have to eat the loss.
“Secured debts” – loans attached to an asset such as a house or a car – are a different story. If you have a mortgage or car loan when you die, those monthly payments will need to be made by your estate or heirs, or the lender can, and most likely will, legally seize the property.
There are, however, a couple of excep-
tions that would make your kids legally responsible for your debt after you pass away. One is if your son and/or daughter is a joint holder on a credit card account that you owe on. And the other is if either one of them has co-signed a loan with you.
Spouses Beware
If you’re married, these same debt inheritance rules apply to surviving spouses too, unless you live in a community property state, which includes Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. In these states, any debts that one spouse acquires after the start of a marriage belongs to the other spouse too. Therefore, spouses in community property states are usually responsible for their deceased spouses’ debts.
Protected Assets
If you have any IRAs, 401(k)s, brokerage accounts, life insurance policies or employerbased pension plans, these are assets that creditors usually cannot get access to. That’s because these accounts typically have designated beneficiaries, and the money goes directly to those people without passing through the estate.
Settling the Estate
You should also make your kids aware that if you die with debt, and you have no assets, settling your estate will be fairly simple. Your executor will need to send out letters to your creditors explaining the situation, including a copy of your death certificate, and that will probably take care of it. But your kids may still have to deal with aggressive debt collectors who try to pressure guilt them into paying.
If you have some assets, but not enough to pay all your debts, your state’s probate court has a distinct list of what bills get priority. The details vary by state, but generally estate administrating fees, funeral expenses, taxes and last illness medical bills get paid first, followed by secured debts and lastly, credit card debts.
If you or your kids have questions or need legal assistance, contact a consumer law
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. attorney or probate attorney. If you can’t afford a lawyer, go to LawHelp.org to search for free legal help in your area.
Enjoy Tidbits with a Friend!
ANTIQUE -- OR
JUNQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
Rockwell Plate Is a Classic
Q: This is a photo of a 1983 Norman Rockwell limited edition porcelain plate that I have. The title is “The Painter” and is part of the Heritage Collection. Edwin Knowles China Company located in Newell, W. Va., made the plate. It is certified as a “True Rockwell Classics” by the Rockwell Society of America.
The plate is dinner size and shows a scene of a house painter all in white at work with a small girl in a blue dress looking over his shoulder.
I would appreciate any information you may have on my plate.
A: The Heritage Collection of Rockwell plates was introduced in 1977 and continues to be made today. The plates featured scenes of Rockwell’s original paintings of the everyday lives of men and women in America.
There have been several series of Rockwell plates produced that include Heritage, the American dream, Christmas, Mother’s Day, the four seasons and the four freedoms. “The Painter” is the seventh issue of the Heritage series.
Puzzle Solutions
Was somebody wondering whether or not I like my turkey to be succulent?
Moist certainly!
Your plate can be found selling in the range of $20 to $50.
Q: This mark is on the bottom of a porcelain pedestal cake stand. It has been in our family for as long as I can remember. My mother told me it was a wedding gift to her great grandparents when they were married in 1900. It is decorated with tiny pink and yellow flowers, green leaves and trimmed in gold. The background is white and it is in mint condition.
I plan to pass my cake stand to my daughter and hope you can tell me about the maker and value.
A: Carl Tielsch Company made your cake stand. His factory was located in Altwasser, Silesia, Germany, since 1845. They are now part of the Hutschenreuther Company.
Your circa 1900 cake stand would probably be worth $125 to $150.
Carl Tielsch Company was located in Germany.
Q: I have a porcelain plate and would like to know where and when it was made, and if it has any value. Marked on the back are the words “Ivory -- Franklinware -- Made in USA.” The plate is decorated with a medallion of pink flowers and greenery in the center and trimmed with gold.
A: Your plate was made by the Sebring Pottery Company around 1930. The pottery was founded in 1887 in East Liverpool, Ohio, and moved to Sebring, Ohio, in 1898. It closed around 1940. “Ivory” is the name of the pattern.
The value of your plate is in the range of $15 to $35.
* * *
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 Dec. 16, 1938, Adolf Hitler instituted the Mother’s Cross, a medal awarded as part of an initiative designed to encourage women of “pure” German origin to grow the Third Reich’s population. Each year between 1938 and 1944, gold medals were given to women with eight or more children, silver medals to women with six to seven, and bronze medals to women with five.
* On Dec. 17, 2010, a struggling street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire outside the governor’s office in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. That morning, his merchandise had been confiscated by a municipal inspector, as Bouazizi was operating without a government permit. His act was considered the start of the Arab Spring, a period of pro-democracy uprisings throughout North Africa and the Middle East.
* On Dec. 18, 1972, future American president Joe Biden’s first wife, Neilia, and 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car accident while shopping for a Christmas tree when their car was struck by a tractor-trailer.
* On Dec. 19, 1843, Charles Dickens’ beloved classic novella “A Christmas Carol” was published in London by Chapman and Hall. The first edition sold out in just five days, and the book not only has been adapted countless times in multiple media, but it has never gone out of print.
* On Dec. 20, 1940, superhero Captain America, aka Steven “Steve” Rogers, a frail man enhanced to physical perfection after drinking an experimental serum, made his debut in “Captain America Comics” No. 1.
* On Dec. 21, 2012, Korean rapper Psy’s music video for “Gangnam Style” became the first YouTube video to garner a billion views.
* On Dec. 22, 2001, British citizen and al-Qaida member Richard Reid attempted to detonate homemade bombs in his shoes while aboard American Airlines Flight 63 headed to Miami from Paris. A flight attendant smelled sulfur and saw what he was doing, and fellow crew members and passengers restrained him until he could be sedated and strapped down with belts, after which the plane was diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport, where he was taken into custody.
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
"Your doctor ran off with his nurse practitioner and is no longer with us. But don't worry, I play a doctor role on a daytime soap series."
The Norman Rockwell Society plate is part of the Heritage Collection.
Elves: from page 3
location of Santa’s workshop. Some believe them to be Santa’s secret agents who visit homes during the days before Christmas and report back to Santa on good and bad behavior. Even though elves are good helpers, they’re still mischievous creatures.
• In 2005, children’s author Carol Aebersold published “The Elf on the Shelf,” a story of how Santa Claus knows who is naughty or nice, describing elves visiting children. The accompanying “Scout Elf” toy is designed to be set in a location in the home to scout out children’s behavior and return to the North Pole each night. Scout elves are to be moved to a new perching place for the next morning, as they wait to be spotted. Upwards of 17.5 million Scout Elves have been “adopted” since their debut.
by Jason Jenkins
Swing Symmetry
Few places in the golf swing have a similar look to another, except for two key areas in the backswing and downswing. When the club swings back to an “upside down” position on the backswing, then through to the same point in time with the club on the follow through, you should observe the following for yourself:
1. Shoulders are near a 90 degree turn. The upper body should be turned roughly 90 degrees or your best turn by each position. This is proof of allowing the lower body to freely rotate and shift weight during the swing. The shoulders turn on a “plane” which means that each respective shoulder is under the chin at these two places.
2. The wrists are free to hinge and re-hinge. The hands and wrists play a critical role to swinging the club with speed and repeatability. The left thumb is basically pointing up and slightly behind the player at each point.
3. At least one arm is extended for swing width. Simply stated, the left arm is long in the backswing, and the right arm is long in the follow through (vice versa for left handers). Width creates and sustains power.
1. LITERATURE: Which Victor Hugo novel was made into an animated Disney movie?
2. MUSIC: In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” what was the gift on the eighth day?
3. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the Kalahari Desert located?
4. HISTORY: Who was the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court?
5. BIOLOGY: What is the process called in which a nonreproductive cell divides in two?
6. MOVIES: In the movie “Elf,” what is the name of Santa’s sleigh?
7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the largest mammal on Earth?
8. U.S. STATES: Where did the first organized celebration of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) take place in the U.S.?
9. ASTRONOMY: Which planet is the smallest in our solar system?
10. TELEVISION: Which 1980s-1990s TV family sitcom had a holiday episode titled “A Very Tanner Christmas”? Answers
The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.
