Vol 21: #1 • New Years Resolutions • (12-29-2024) Tidbits of Coachella Valley 16pg
by Kathy Wolfe
It’s that time again! Time to make New Year’s resolutions, those annual declarations we pledge with lofty intentions toward making a fresh start. This week Tidbits starts the new year with the facts and some motivation!
• New Year’s resolutions aren’t anything new, in fact they’ve been around for about 4,000 years! In 2000 B.C., the Babylonians held a 12-day New Year festival called Akitu, which celebrated the planting of barley. At this time, citizens would reaffirm their loyalty to their king, would promise to pay their debts, and would return all borrowed farm equipment.
• The month of January was named for the Roman god Janus, the god of beginnings, transitions, time, doorways, and endings. Janus had two faces, one that looked forward to new beginnings and one facing backward for reflection and resolution. The ancient Romans would offer sacrifices to the mythical god every new year and make promises of good behavior for the coming year.
TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
(Answers on page 16)
1. MOVIES: What is the name of the snowman in the animated movie “Frozen”?
2. GEOGRAPHY: How many U.S. states does the Mississippi River run through or along?
3. ADVERTISING: Which product uses a cartoon character whose first and middle names are Horatio Magellan?
4. MUSIC: In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” how many “geese a-laying” are given to the narrator’s true love?
5. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of nuts are in a Snickers candy bar?
6. BIOLOGY: What is epimorphic regeneration?
7. TELEVISION: Who starred in the 1980s exercise video series “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”?
8. ANATOMY: How much of the human brain is made up of fat?
9. MEASUREMENTS: How many cups are in a pint?
10. LITERATURE: Which famous author often uses Castle Rock as a setting in his novels?
(Trivia Test answers page 16)
The unusual sport of curling can be a little confusing if you don’t understand the rules. This week, Tidbits explains the object of the game and a bit of its history.
• Players of the game slide granite stones on a sheet of ice toward the “house,” a circular target marked on the ice that is segmented into four concentric circles. Each of the two teams has four players – the lead, second, third, and skip. The skip is the team captain who provides strategic guidance throughout the match, determining the tactics, the shots, and communication with the team.
• Team members take turns sliding the stones toward the house using brooms or brushes to sweep the ice in front of the stone as it glides over the ice. Sweeping affects the stone’s speed, direction, and distance. By sweeping forcefully in front of the stone, players can reduce friction and modify its path around obstacles.
• The sport’s name comes from the action of the stone “curling” on the ice. As a player releases the stone, it’s given a slight rotation, and the stone “curls” or curves.
• Curling stones are made of a rare granite that comes from either Wales or the Scottish island of Ailsa Craig. Each stone weighs around 42 lbs. (19 kg). The first curling stones were made of iron and were shaped like teapots weighing between 60 and 80 lbs. (27.2 and 36.3 kg).
• The curling rink, measuring about 150 feet long (45.7 m) and 16 feet wide (4.9 m), is prepared before the game by spraying water droplets on the ice, which form a pebbled surface resembling an orange peel. This pebble against the concave bottom of the stone decreases friction between the stone and ice, which allows it to travel farther.
• There’s nothing new about curling. It dates back to 1511 in Scotland, where the first games were played on frozen lakes and ponds. Two 16th-century curling stones were found in an old Scottish pond which had been drained,
one inscribed with the date 1511 and the other 1551. Both can be found in a Stirling, Scotland museum.
• The word “curling” first appeared in print in 1620 in a Scottish poem. Standardized equipment and rules were established by the Grand Caledonia Curling Club in 1838.
• Curling was included at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France in 1924. However, it was considered a demonstration sport for the next 74 years, and was not established as an official Olympic sport until 1998.
• Scottish immigrants brought the game to Canada. The Royal Montreal Curling Club, which is the oldest established active sports club in North America, was established in 1807. Canadian curlers have dominated the sport, winning multiple Olympic medals. Since 1998, the men’s team has been awarded 3 golds and 2 silvers and the women’s has earned 2 golds, a silver, and 2 bronzes.
• The first U.S. curling club was established in 1830. Although the U.S. frequently dominates the Winter Olympics, only one curling medal has ever been won, a bronze medal in 2006.
• The game has earned a couple of nicknames over the centuries. It’s known as the “the game of the roar,” due to the sound the stones make while traveling over the pebble. It’s also referred to as “chess on ice” due to the skill and strategy required for positioning the stones, planning their moves, and anticipating the moves of their opponents.
• Curling is known for its well-mannered participants, who congratulate their opponents on good strategies and outstanding shots.
1. Olaf.
2. 10 states.
3. Cap’n Crunch cereal.
Six.
(from page one)
• According to legend, during the Middle Ages, medieval knights renewed their vow to chivalry at the end of the year. Knights would gather at a feast and make the “Peacock Vow” by placing their hands upon either a live or roasted peacock, and pledge to uphold the ideals of chivalry, social responsibility, and care of others for the coming year.
MODERN VERSIONS
• An 1813 Boston newspaper contained the first recorded use of the phrase “New Year resolution.” It was done in a humorous manner, citing that people “will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new year resolutions and new behavior, with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.”
• In the early 1900s, resolutions tended to be religious or spiritual, with a desire for stronger moral character or work ethic. As the decades advanced, resolutions moved toward selfimprovement, like losing weight, managing finances, exercising more, and travel.
• A 1947 Gallup poll reported popular New Year’s resolutions to be an improved and more understanding disposition, control of one’s temper, saving more money, attending church services more often, and be more efficient and do a better job at work.
• While 62% of Americans say they feel pressured to set resolutions, only about 38% will make them every year. About 87% of those say they are at least somewhat likely to keep one or more. About 66% of those who make them plan to make three or more resolutions for the coming year. The largest demographic that sets these goal is young adults aged 18 to 34 –
59% of whom have New Year’s resolutions.
• The top resolution, nearly 50% of those made, is to exercise more. Other top goals include weight loss, improving finances, improving mental health, getting organized, drinking less alcohol, and having a better diet. Fewer people focus on making more time for hobbies, traveling more, or learning a new skill.
• Women’s resolutions are focused more on health-related topics, while men’s focus leans more toward their career ambitions or reducing alcohol consumption.
• When resolutions are made, 80% of people feel confident in their ability to keep them.
• Of those whose plan is to exercise more and lose weight, 49% plan on using a fitness app for assistance
RESOLUTION BENEFITS
• For those who want to improve mental health, praying more often and keeping a daily gratitude journal of things they have to be thankful for has been proven to lift a person’s spirits and develops a more positive attitude toward life in general. Recording at least three things one is most grateful for at the end of each day places the focus on the little things in life that are sometimes taken for granted and easily missed.
• Rewarding yourself for little steps toward resolutions helps with sticking to them. If the goal is to walk two miles four days a week, after three weeks, the reward of special headphones might sustain the motivation.
• If you’re setting a goal of improving your diet, experts recommend spending 30 minutes a week planning out meals. Research indicates that those who do so have a far better diet quality and a lower risk of obesity than those who just do it randomly.
• Resolving to cook more at home is also an excellent way to reach the improved diet goal. It enables a person to use ingredients they want, and thus save not only calories, sodium, and added sugar, but a considerable amount of cash in the process!
• The resolution of developing good money habits results in improved mental health and better stress management. Overall life satisfaction is enhanced by creating and sticking to a budget, paying off debt, and building up an emergency fund.
• A good way to make a New Year’s resolution attainable is to do one thing each day that you don’t want to do. First thing in the morning is a good time to perform that one small act while motivation is fresh.
AVERAGE DURATION
NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE
A simple and attainable New Year's resolution is to do one daily act of kindness. Hold the door for a stranger, let someone cut in line in front of you, pay for the meal ordered by the car behind you in the drive-thru line, pay someone a nice compliment, offer a friendly hello to a stranger. Showing kindness to others is a healthy habit for you!
• How long does the average resolution last? A Forbes survey found that the intent to keep them lasts two to four months before they’re
forgotten. About 23% quit in the first week. About 8% stated their resolutions lasted a month, 22% reported two months, another 22.2% said three months, with 13.1% at four months. The average resolution lasts about 3.75 months. Studies report that about 9% of people successfully achieve their January 1 goals.
• Why don’t people keep New Year’s resolutions?
1. What percentage of Americans will fall asleep before the clock strikes 12 on New Year's Eve?
2. What do 2,800,000 people gather to watch on New Year's Day?
By Lucie Winborne
* Jim Cummings, who voices Winnie the Pooh, calls sick children in hospitals and talks to them in the character’s voice. He once phoned a little girl who was fighting cancer, and her mother told him it was the first time the child had smiled in six months.
* The odds of giving birth to a baby at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1 are around 1 in 526,000 -- roughly the same as the odds of getting struck by lightning.
* In ancient Greece, throwing an apple at a woman was considered a marriage proposal.
* Iceland has one of the largest gun ownership rates in the world, but one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
* The dragon tree of the Canary Islands is famous for its thick, deep-red sap. Called dragon’s blood, the resin might be responsible for the intense hue of the famous Stradivarius violins built in the 17th and 18th centuries.
* All telephone service in the U.S. and Canada was silenced for one minute on Aug. 4, 1922, to mark the funeral of Alexander Graham Bell.
* Lawyer James Thornton successfully sued the U.K. government to admit that it was breaching legal limits for air pollution.
* The East China Sea parts annually and exposes a narrow 2.9 km-long strip of land, allowing thousands of people to cross from Jindo Island to Modo Island of Korea. This land is exposed about an hour each day for approximately four days every year.
* On average, a person accidentally eats about 430 tiny bugs each year of his or her lifetime. ***
Thought for the Day: “If you want evidence that the world is a terrible place, watch the news and surf the web. But if you want to remember how incredible this planet is, go out into nature. Unlike social media and the news, nature has no incentive to keep us agitated, angry and anxious.” -- Austin Perlmutter
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
by Mary Hunt
by Mary Hunt
Readers Share Creative Post-Holidays Tips and Tricks
write a well-considered greeting to each recipient and still get them mailed on time. -- Rosemary GREEN BAG FILLER
It was Christmas Eve and I was frantic to finish wrapping gifts. I used a lot of gift bags but had run out of tissue. Then I remembered all the Kohl’s and JCPenney ads that had run in the newspapers. They were all the right colors: red, green and white. I ran them through my paper shredder and had free filler for my gift bags. My recipients were very impressed with my “green” wrapping. -- Jo
Everyday CHEAPSKATE®
by Mary Hunt
I have so enjoyed the unique holiday tips and tricks you, my dear readers, have sent my way during the holidays. Over and again I find myself saying, “Wow! Why didn’t I think that?”
A few weeks before Christmas, I was boiling mad at myself when I opened boxes marked “Christmas” to find supplies of cards, tags and gift wrap purchased on sale, then promptly forgotten. By then, I’d repurchased so many of the things I had already. You can be sure I’ve already noted where my bargain-priced holiday paper goods are on Oct. 31 of my 2025 calendar, along with a printed copy of this column! You’ll understand as you read on.
CANNED BOWS
I use the large Christmas popcorn tins (cleaned and dried) to store my Christmas bows. I use one for red, another for green and the other two for gold and mixed colors. I can stack them in storage and my bows stay new-looking all year. I reuse these bows for several years.
-- Gwen
TREE SKIRT
I purchased a round Christmas tablecloth at the local thrift store for 75 cents. I laundered it and have been using it for the past three years as a tree skirt. It is large enough that I just fold it in half and wrap it around the tree holder, meeting in the back. It is reusable, beautiful and easy to clean. -- Darlene
GIFT OF PHOTOGRAPHY
We have wanted family portraits for a long time now, so last summer we told our family members that we were going to make an appointment for a family photo session. The photographer took photos of individuals, small family groups and our large family. We told everyone we would pay for the session, and we called it a Christmas gift but said it was something that we wanted for ourselves. Everyone loved the idea. They were able to purchase any pictures they wanted from the studio. When Christmas rolled around, I still had the urge to give gifts, so I simply bought everyone a picture frame. -- Melissa
FILED UNDER HALLOWEEN
Like many people, I buy my Christmas cards and other paper goods after the holidays when they are on sale. Instead of storing them with my Christmas decorations, I put them with my Halloween decorations. When I open the bin in mid-October, I have at least eight weeks to
ORNAMENT STORAGE
I have lots of small, breakable ornaments that I’ve collected over the years. They easily get lost in tissue and the commercial ornament boxes are too large and bulky. A friend gave me a great idea -- egg cartons. I save my egg cartons and put the ornaments in each cup of the carton. They stack nicely in my Christmas storage boxes with my other decorations. -- Betty
FAMILY TREASURE
My sister-in-law created a cookbook for Christmas this year. She’s asked everyone in the family to submit five dessert recipes. Next year it will be a different category. She is compiling the cookbook this year and will only need to print out the new recipes each year in the future. -- Tracy
TREE HANDLER
We have an artificial Christmas tree that requires bending out the branches after it is set up to make the tree look bushy. I keep a pair of inexpensive cotton garden gloves in the tree box so handling the branches is more comfortable. I also use the gloves to squeeze the branches closed before putting it away. -- Margie
GIFT OF LAUGHTER
A few years ago, we decided to be creative with Christmas gifts for our two adult sons. We went through boxes of things they’d left behind, gathering some of their old childhood “treasures” like “Animaniacs” figures, an old neckerchief, metronome, a college mug and prom mementos. We wrap them as Christmas presents. One of our sons conveniently left behind a birthday gift in August. He got it again for Christmas. One year I found school papers from their very early years of school. I put them in three-ring binders and wrapped them up. The boys loved reading their work from second and third grade. We’ve had more laughs and fun with these “free” gifts than with the gifts we purchase. -- Leslie * * *
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
Twelfth Night
Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping…and a partridge in a pear tree. So goes the familiar holiday tune “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” As those 12 days draw to a close, Tidbits focuses on the Twelfth Night and its significance.
• The Twelve Days of Christmas is the period between December 25 and January 5. It was a time of feasting and celebration in medieval Europe, with each day marking a different religious feast. The Twelfth Night was the grand finale of the festivities, marking the end of the Christmas season.
• Twelfth Night is the commemoration of the arrival of the Wise Men, or Magi, from the East who presented gifts to the infant Jesus. It’s believed that the Magi were members of the Persian priestly caste, guardians of religious and philosophical knowledge. At the time of their journey, there was an expectation that a universal ruler would come from Israel.
• A popular tradition of the time was that of baking a Twelfth Night cake into which a bean or coin was baked. The one who found the treasure in their slice, usually a peasant or commoner, was crowned “King of the Bean,”
and would officiate at the celebration. Today, many countries keep the tradition with a king cake, also known as the Three Kings cake, baking a small porcelain figure symbolizing baby Jesus into the confection.
• Gifts and candies are left for children on the evening of January 5, symbolizing the Magi passing by on their way to Bethlehem.
• According to tradition, on Twelfth Night, all Christmas decorations should be taken down because it’s unlucky to leave them up past this day. If this task is not completed, the decorations have to be left up all year to avoid bad luck.
• Many folks would write messages above their front door in chalk as blessings for the home. The blessing typically included the letters C, M, and B, that could be the first initials of the three wise men, Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar, or an abbreviation of the Latin phrase, “Christus mansionem benedictat,” meaning “May Christ bless this house.”
• Wassailing was a common practice of Twelfth Night, with wassailers going door-to-door singing songs and offering blessings for good health, receiving cups of spiced ale or cider for their efforts.
• “Wassailing” was the actual singing, as evidenced by the holiday carol “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” and the beverages referred to as wassail. Wassail starts with ale or cider and adds cloves, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cranberries, and sliced oranges and apples. The word has its origins in the Old English phrase “waes hael,” which translates “be in good health.”
• Some individuals in the eastern Alps practice “Perchtenlaufen.” It’s a custom that involves 200-300 young masked men running through the streets with whips and bells to drive away evil spirits.
• The day after Twelfth Night is the feast of Epiphany, referred to some as Three Kings Day. Eastern churches call it Theophany and focus on the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist,
rather than on the arrival of the Magi. The Greek word “epiphaneia” translates “appearance” or “manifestation,” referring to the revealing of Jesus to the world.
by Dana Jackson
Q: I finally subscribed to Paramount+ and started watching the newer episodes of “Criminal Minds.” I’m happy that most of the cast is back, but what about Matthew Gray Gubler? -- D.E.
A: “Criminal Minds” ran on CBS for 15 seasons and ended in 2020, before it was rebooted as “Criminal Minds: Evolution” two years later on Paramount+. Much of the original cast returned, including Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, and Kirsten Vangsness. However, one person who was noticeably absent was Matthew Gray Gubler, a fan favorite as super-intellectual agent Spencer Reid.
Showrunner Erica Messer explained to Parade magazine that there’s always room for Gubler. Since the seasons are shorter with fewer episodes, the window of opportunity to land another busy actor is much smaller with streaming than with network television. Gubler was busy for a few years filming the show “Dollface” as well as writing children’s books. (He’s authored two New York Times bestsellers: “Rumple Buttercup” and “The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand.”)
Fortunately, since the interview with Messer, the show has been able to secure Gubler for one upcoming episode of “Evolution.” Season three of the series recently wrapped filming, but it won’t premiere on Paramount+ until sometime in
2025. It appears the only thing standing in the way of Gubler joining the cast full-time is his starring role in a series that is currently being developed at CBS called “Einstein.” If it gets picked up, this will certainly limit his availability once again for “Evolution.”
***
Q: Is it true that there will be a “Yellowstone” spin-off with Rip and Beth continuing their story? I hope so. -- M.E.
A: Without spoiling the ending of the series finale of “Yellowstone,” I can say there’s a strong indication that the show will continue, likely in the form of a spin-off, with the love story of Rip and Beth. According to Deadline.com, both Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, who portray the respective characters, have reportedly signed deals to reprise their roles in a new spin-off that will contain the name “Yellowstone” in some capacity in the title. Rebranding the show with a spin-off instead of just continuing season six allows Paramount to air episodes on its own streaming service, Paramount+. The current “Yellowstone” series has an exclusive deal with NBCUniversal and can only stream on the competing streamer Peacock. The
spin-off will likely be a huge hit and moneymaker for Paramount.
***
Q: Is it true that Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle have called off their engagement? Will she return to Fox News? -F.T.
A: Yes, the couple have split after Trump Jr. was spotted with another flame, a socialite from Florida named Bettina Anderson. Prior to their relationship, Gilfoyle was a host on the afternoon Fox News talk show “The Five” but left after she was accused of sexual harassment by an assistant. It’s doubtful that she would be able to return to Fox. In fact, she’s recently been nominated to serve as a United States Ambassador to Greece by incoming president Donald Trump.
* * *
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.
King Features News Syndicate
New England Cod Chowder
A creamy and tasty winter warmer made with potatoes, fennel, carrots and chunks of codfish.
4 slices bacon
3 medium carrots, each cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into slices
1 large (1 pound) fennel bulb, diced, or 3 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium (1 pound) all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1. In 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepot, cook bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain; crumble.
2. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat in Dutch oven. Add carrots, fennel and onion, and cook until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, clam juice, chicken broth and bay leaf; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Add cod; cook, covered, 2 to 5 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Carefully stir in half-and-half; heat through. Discard bay leaf. Serve soup Good Recipes from
with crumbled bacon. Makes about 10 cups of soup or 5 main-dish servings.
Each serving: About 335 calories, 14g total fat (6g saturated), 24g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 72mg cholesterol, 780mg sodium.
Bacon French Toast Bake
Our holiday breakfast gift to you: make-ahead French toast!
1 loaf challah or brioche bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1 pound)
6 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 slices bacon, chopped
1. Leave bread slices spread out on rack or platter at room temperature at least 2 hours or until slightly stale. Grease 3-quart baking dish.
2. Arrange bread in prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping. In large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, Gruyere, 1/4 cup maple syrup, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper until combined. Pour all over bread in baking dish. With hands,
press down on bread to submerge.
3. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
4. Heat oven to 375 F. Remove plastic. Sprinkle bacon all over top of bread mixture. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and set. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup before serving. Serves 10.
Each serving: About 410 calories, 23g fat (10g saturated), 18g protein, 33g carbs, 655mg sodium.
HEADS
By John Allen
DIAMOND LIL
by Brett Koth
Donald Duck by Walt
TIDBITS POUNDS DOWN SOME
DONUTS
12/29 YMCA Organization Day
12/30 National Bacon Day
12/31 New Year's Eve
1/1 New Year's Day
1/2 National Buffet Day
1/3 Alaska Admission Day
1/4 National Trivia Day
Dog Talk with Uncle Matty
By Matthew Margolis
Resolution No. 1: No More Denial
The word “acceptance” gets a bad rap. Acceptance is not resignation. It’s not defeatist or complacent. Acceptance is powerful and progressive -- a symbol that marks that point in time when a person seizes control of their life. Acceptance is the antidote to denial.
Denial fuels paralysis. It destroys relationships, drains bank accounts, limits potential, inhibits progress, wreaks havoc on our health and leaves questionable politicians in power for far too long. And it’s certainly no way to deal with a dog.
An acquaintance of mine is having trouble with his neighbors -- if you ask him. If you ask them, they’re having trouble with his dogs.
I asked him what the problem was, and he said, “My neighbors say my dogs bark when I’m not home, but I don’t think they do.”
Not “but I know they don’t because I recorded them while I was out.”
Not “but I know they don’t because I pretended to leave and then caught the neighbor redhanded provoking my dogs.”
Nope. For him it was enough to simply deny the possibility outright and assume his neighbors are lying. The irony is that he is an elementary-school teacher. No one is more familiar with the frustrations of denial than a teacher of young children.
“Thank you for coming in, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Your son hid a dead squirrel in my desk drawer today.”
“Oh, our Bobby would never do that.”
Barking is a behavioral problem that frequently gets blown all out of proportion because of denial. Yes, barking is communication, it’s natural, it’s protection. But it’s also annoying and disruptive when excessive.
Barking isn’t the problem. Excessive barking is the problem. And if your dog is accused, the
I don’t know what it is about hanging up a new calendar that makes me want to organize the whole year and set goals. But once again, as I hung up the 2025 calendar on the kitchen wall, I immediately began to consider how I might make the new year better and more productive.
Each week I will vacuum, whether I want to or not, and complete one section in my free online French lessons (www.duolingo.com). I’ve already started playing online chess (see chess.com) against the computer as a skills brush-up before signing up for weekly in-person chess at the rec center.
Cody’s Corner (from page 9)
first step should be determining whether he is an excessive barker. If so, there are a multitude of options available to help manage or cure the problem behavior. But if we’re too busy denying it exists, they’ll be of little help.
If you use the My Social Security account online, you’ll need to make several changes or you’ll be locked out. If you haven’t updated your account since Sept. 18, 2021, using the new method, the login for checking your Social Security account is no more and your username won’t work. You’ll now need to create a new account using one of their credential service providers at Login.gov
Monthly I will try to increase my savings by cutting back on what I spend. This one might be tough.
And I’ve already volunteered to make the morning hello calls from the senior center on four days next month.
As part of being “organized,” I decided to set daily, weekly and monthly goals. Here is what my 2025 will look like:
In the middle of all that, I’ll organize and plan for summer, when I’ll grow a few vegetables. I’ll vow to donate half the fresh veggies to the food bank.
The simple truth is that training your dog is a whole lot easier than dealing with all of the long-term difficulties denial ultimately presents: cold wars with neighbors, legal battles, court fees, time away from work, surprise visits from animal control. And then there are those pets that mysteriously disappear from the backyard or meet their maker suddenly and under questionable circumstances.
Having access to your Social Security information can have several benefits, whether you currently receive benefits or not. You can now get an estimate of future benefits, check on the status of your application or get a replacement card. You can confirm your earnings or get an SSA-1099 tax form. You can update your information such as address and either set up or change your direct deposit.
On a daily basis I will do some form of exercise. (Let’s see how long this lasts.) It might be 15 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes of bicep-building with hand weights. I’ll spend 30 minutes on the piano, and for brain strength I’ll start challenging myself by working more crossword puzzles.
And I've resolved to do a slow but thorough decluttering before next fall.
How about you? Does that new calendar with all the empty boxes make you want to fill them out? What will you do with your 2025?
* * *
Of course, barking isn’t the only problem made worse by denial. I recently spoke with a man who had just adopted a dog from a shelter. He was distraught because the dog kept attacking his cats. I asked him what the folks at the shelter told him about the dog’s personality prior to the adoption. He said, “They told me he doesn’t like cats.”
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.
Security is one big reason they’ve made this change. You’ll be using federal authenti
I've resolved myself to read one book per week. This shouldn’t be too hard, thanks to Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.
The Art of DESIGN
by Joseph Publillones
What Is Hip?
I think my parents were ultra-cool. But I haven’t always thought that. As a child, I was a bit reticent about change and hated the process of their self-discovery. I remember when we transitioned from a suburban two-story colonial -- a traditional household replete with velvet furniture covered in see-through plastic ala Joan Crawford’s living room -- to sleek, low-slung Danish furniture peppered with rattan. And I could never forget the transparent furniture in Lucite when we moved to a condominium smack dab in the middle of downtown Coral Gables, Florida.
Yes, everything changed -- even their clothing, from tailored suits to free-flowing shirts with bellbottom pants, accompanied by platform shoes. Oh, how I hated those clothes, as well as the feel of the polyester fabrics, which were especially hot in South Florida. But I must admit that they embraced and evolved with the styles of their days. In essence, they were hip!
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.
response to the quickly multiplying homes of the post-World War II era. It was a special time influenced by travel into space and the world of Madison Avenue advertising. Homes were less and less routed in classical traditions and embraced everything that was new and innovative. Homes were also more compact, and living standards simplified. These were the years that saw the development of the shag rug, cork wall tiles and macrame curtains -- as well as the intercom, tape recorders and color TV.
Today, midcentury is enjoying a revival thanks to contemporary and minimalist architecture. Furniture designed by Eames, Wassily, Le Corbusier and Knoll are just as much in vogue today as they were nearly 60 years ago when originally produced. These signature pieces are considered design classics and can be mixed with most any furniture styles.
Certain things of the past are worth revisiting. More recently we have been seeing a midcentury modern trend, styling on everything from boomerang sofas to sleek cabinetry with lines reminiscent of the 1960s and ‘70s. While these styles are quite fetching for their clean designs, this type of styling does have its limitations. Classic finishes and selections go the extra mile in home renovations.
Midcentury modern design started as a
Successful projects by designers today show that it just takes a touch from the classics. Going overboard with midcentury furnishings can make your project seem like a time capsule rather than a stylish home.
We all loved the Brady Bunch home. It was the home of a forward-thinking architect and his trendsetting blended family. Mrs. Brady’s orange mica kitchen was a hit, but don’t try it today; the same goes for harvest gold or Avocado green appliances for your home. These were great back in their day, but some things should never be revisited. Like in fashion, if you have worn it once in your life, that trend should never be tried again. Allow yourselves, like my parents did, to evolve your sense of style over time, so that you will always be hip.
* * * 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
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
by Tom Margenau
The History of the Social Security Number
I have a granddaughter who is a junior in high school. Recently, she needed to write a report for her history class on any subject related to a federal government program. Because she knew that her grandpa worked for the Social Security Administration for 32 years, she initially thought she’d write about the history of Social Security. I told her that was actually a pretty broad topic. Many entire books have been written about that subject -- and her paper was supposed to be limited to 1,000 words.
So I suggested that she concentrate on the history of just one small part of Social Security, something her teacher and every student in her class were familiar with -- the Social Security number. After all, everyone has one.
To help her out, I dug out a column I had written years ago about that very subject. After rereading it, I remembered how interesting the story is, so I decided I’d repeat it here today.
People sometimes ask me who got the first Social Security card. They are also curious what the lowest Social Security number ever issued was -- and who got it. They usually assume that the person who got the first Social Security card and the person who got the lowest number are one and the same, but that’s not the case.
When Social Security numbers were first issued in 1936, the SSA did not yet have a network of field offices. So the agency contracted with the U.S. Postal Service to distribute and assign the first batch of Social Security numbers through its 45,000 local post offices around the country. Of these 45,000 post offices, 1,074 were also designated as “typing centers” where the cards themselves were prepared.
Because of that, the best that SSA historians can say with certainty is that the first SSN was issued sometime in mid-November 1936 from one of those 1,074 post offices to someone whose identity and SSN are unknown. Thousands of Social Security numbers and cards were probably issued on that day, so there is simply no way to tell who got the first one.
The SSA does know, however, who received the Social Security card with the lowest number. They tried to make a bit of a public relations fuss over it, but it didn’t work out as the agency’s flacks planned.
SSNs were grouped by the first three digits of the number (called the area number) and assigned geographically starting in the Northeast and moving down the Eastern seaboard and then across the country to the west. However, instead of starting in Maine (the most northeasterly state), they gave “001” numbers to New Hampshire. That’s because the plan was to give card number 001-01-0001 to John G. Winant, who was a former governor of New Hampshire and was at the time the chairman of the Social Security Board (the forerunner of the Social Security Administration). But Winant turned down the honor.
Then it was offered to the head of the agency’s regional office for the Northeastern United States, but he also said no. They tried to designate a couple other officials for the alleged honor, but with no luck. In frustration, the agency’s PR
people nixed their plans for a ceremonial first official SSN recipient. So instead, they just decided to issue card number 001-01-0001 to the first Social Security number applicant from New Hampshire. This proved to be Grace D. Owen of Concord, New Hampshire, who applied for her number on Nov. 24, 1936.
There is one more little twist to this story. If you do some research into old press reports, you may find a story that says the very first Social Security card was issued to John Sweeney of New Rochelle, New York.
What actually happened is this: All of the SSN records prepared by post offices were shipped to the SSA’s headquarters in Baltimore. One of their first jobs was to create an official Social Security record (primarily to track earnings) for each SSN issued. When the first batch of SSN records came in from the postal service, the agency’s head of accounting operations pulled the top card off the pile and declared it to be the official first Social Security record. It happened to be card number 055-09-0001, belonging to the aforementioned Mr. Sweeney.
The next day, newspapers around the country announced that Sweeney had been issued the first SSN. That wasn’t quite right. It would be more accurate to say that the first Social Security earnings record was established for John Sweeney. But because those records were invisible to the public and the Social Security card was a very visible token of the program, the newspapers overlooked the nuance, and John Sweeney had his 15 minutes of fame in 1936.
But neither 001-01-0001 nor 055-09-0001 is the most well-known Social Security number. That honor belongs to 078-05-1120.
In 1938, a wallet manufacturer in New York decided to promote its product by showing how the still relatively new Social Security card would fit into its wallets. The president of the company thought it would be a bright idea to insert a sample
1. The book of Nahum is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither
2. From Luke 17, when Jesus healed ten lepers, how many came back to thank him? a) None b) One c) Seven d) Nine
3. In Genesis 32, whose thigh went out of joint when wrestling with an angel? a) Adam b) Abraham c) Issac d) Jacob
4. Who had seven sons who always celebrated their birthdays with a feast? a) Job b) Nehemiah c) David d) Jeremiah
5. The pool of Bethesda is near which "gate" to the city of Jerusalem? a) Camel b) Sheep c) Horse d) People
6. From Luke 8, Jesus caused a herd of swine to plunge to their deaths in what body of water? a) The Dead Sea b) Nile River c) River Jordan d) The Sea of Galilee
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
for display purposes in each wallet. His next not-sosmart idea was to put a real Social Security number on the display card. The number shown on the card, 078-005-1120, actually belonged to the president’s secretary, a woman named Hilda Witcher.
The wallets were sold by Woolworth stores all over the country. Even though the card was only half the size of a real card, was printed all in red and had the word “specimen” written across the face, many purchasers of the wallet adopted that number as their own! In the peak year of 1943, 5,755 people were using Hilda’s number.
The SSA acted to eliminate the problem by voiding the number and publicizing that it was incorrect to use it. (Witcher was given a new number.) However, the number continued to be used for many years. In all, over 40,000 people reported what became known as the “Woolworth number” as their SSN. In fact, as late as 1977, 12 people were found to still be trying to use Hilda’s original SSN. By the way, some of you may be wondering how I could be giving real names and real Social Security numbers in this column. First, the people mentioned have all long since passed away. Second, the SSA has flagged those SSNs (and other famous or infamous numbers) so that if anyone ever tried using them, they would be instantly investigated.
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
Eighty-Year-Old Man Considers Having a Child With His Partner
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a reasonably healthy 80-year-old man who is fortunate enough to have a partner of child-bearing age. She would like to bear us a child, but I am concerned about any potential problems with my old genes and any birth defects that might be caused by them. Please help us decide. -- R.B.
ANSWER: This is a question I usually hear from my patients when they are in their 60s or 70s. Eighty is quite old to be considering fathering a child.
The first issue is that men get less fertile as we age. Older men are less likely to get their partners pregnant, and this difference is apparent by the age of 35. There are not good data for potential fathers in their 80s.
If you and your partner do have a successful pregnancy, there is an increased risk of deleterious genetic conditions and birth defects that are more likely in children who have older fathers. Down syndrome, which is normally associated with an advanced maternal age, is also more common among the offspring of older fathers.
Some heart conditions are more common. Epilepsy and schizophrenia are more common as well, as are autism spectrum disorders. Some cancer rates are increased. Babies are more likely to have a low birth weight, be born premature, and require the neonatal ICU.
However, the magnitude of the effect is modest. On average, 1 in 50 pregnancies with a father under the age of 30 will have one of the common health conditions that are studied in couples. With children who have a father over 50, the rate is 1 in 38. Even though the odds are that you would have a healthy child, the likelihood of a significant health issue for a man over 80 will be substantially more concerning. There just aren’t data for men as old as you are that can give us a reliable estimate.
Another issue to consider is whether you will be around to see your child grow up and be there as a father. The average 80-year-old man has a life expectancy of just under eight years. If you are substantially healthier than average, or if your parents lived for a very long time, this number could be better. But the average 80-year-old (assuming your partner has the child while you are still 80) is not likely to see their child reach
their 10th birthday. The early death of a father has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of a child.
I conclude that there are significant risks in bringing a child into the world at your age. ***
DEAR DR. ROACH: I got my first dose of Shingrix in 2022 and forgot to get the second. Do I need to get two more doses now or just one? -- L.B.S.
ANSWER: According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the vaccine series does not need to be restarted, and you can just take the second dose.
However, this type of delayed administration hasn’t been thoroughly tested. I’ve had patients come back several years after the first dose and elect to redo the whole series just to be sure.
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
MDMA Study for PTSD
With money from the National Defense Authorization Act for 2024, a $1.5 million grant program is beginning a study using Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted (MDMA, also known as ecstacy) psychedelic therapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Department of Veterans Affairs will hook up with researchers at Yale and Brown universities to use the drug along with psychotherapy. The goal, says a news release, is to use the drugs to “increase emotional openness, reduce fear and promote introspection during therapy.” Test subjects will either be given the real dose or a low dose as a placebo.
by Freddie Groves
The West Haven VA Medical Center in Connecticut and the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island are the sites for the study, and they’re starting soon.
The standard PTSD treatment, using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) doesn’t work on approximately one-third of people. The difference between the two (SSRI vs. MDMA) is how much serotonin is released. While the SSRI class of drugs blocks the release of serotonin, MDMA aids it, bringing feelings of euphoria ... hence the street name “ecstacy.”
MDMA isn’t going to be the whole answer, however. Treatment will need to be in conjunction with therapy and under highly controlled circumstances. In any event, it will be the first time since the 1960s that they’ve tried psychedelic-assisted therapy.
There are those who worry about going down this road, as well they should. Once it gets out that the VA is actually doing studies on using a street drug as a treatment, those who suffer from PTSD or AUD might decide to take matters into their own hands and self-medicate. The potential for disaster comes from the amount of the drug to be used. In therapy the amount will be minuscule. With a drug acquired on the street, there’s no telling what’s really in it, and there will be no accompanying therapy.
If you want to participate in the VA study, your first step will be to contact your care team at the local VA medical facility to ask for a referral.
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.
and Rolfers do not diagnose or treat
However, Rolfing® can be very effective when chronic mis-allignments in your body is the source of your problem
M.D.
-- by Jim Miller
How Long to Keep Tax Records and Other Documents
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Is there a rule of thumb on how long someone should keep their old financial paperwork? I have file cabinets full of old receipts, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns and more that I would like to toss, but I don't want to trash any that I acutally may need some day. What can you advise? -- Recently Retired
Dear Recently: It’s a great question. As we get older and our financial life gets more complicated, it’s difficult to know how long to keep old financial records and paperwork, and when it’s safe to get rid of them. Some things you’ll need to hold on to for your whole life and others for just a specific peiod of time. Here’s a checklist I’ve created that can help you determine what to save and what you can just toss.
Keep One Month
● ATM receipts and bank-deposit slips, as soon as you match them up with your monthly statement.
● Credit card receipts after you get your statement, unless you might return the item or need proof of purchase for a warranty.
● Credit card statements that do not have a tax-related expense on them.
● Utility bills when the following month’s bill arrives showing that your prior payment was received. If you wish to track utility usage over time, you may want to keep them for a year, or if you deduct a home office on your taxes keep them for seven years.
To avoid identity theft, be sure you shred anything you throw away that contains
your personal or financial information.
Keep One Year
● Paycheck stubs until you get your W-2 in January to check its accuracy.
● Bank statements (savings and checking account) to confirm your 1099s.
● Brokerage, 401(k), IRA and other investment statements until you get your annual summary (keep longer for tax purposes if they show a gain or loss).
● Receipts for health care bills in case you qualify for a medical deduction.
Keep Seven Years
Supporting documents for your taxes, including W-2s, 1099s, and receipts or canceled checks that substantiate deductions. The IRS usually has up to three years after you file to audit you, but may look back up to six years if it suspects you substantially underreported income or committed fraud.
Keep Indefinitely
● Tax returns with proof of filing and payment. You should keep these for at least seven years, but many people keep them forever because they provide a record of your financial history.
● IRS forms that you filed when making nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA or a Roth conversion.
● Retirement and brokerage account annual statements for as long as you hold those investments.
● Defined-benefit pension plan documents.
● Savings bonds until redeemed.
● Loan documents until the loan is paid off.
● Vehicle titles and registration information for as long as you own the car, boat, truck, or other vehicle.
● Insurance policies for as long as you have them.
● Warranties or receipts for big-ticket purchases for as long as you own the item, to support warranty and insurance claims.
Keep Forever
Personal and family records like birth certificates, marriage license, divorce papers, Social Security cards, military discharge papers and estate-planning documents including a power of attorney, will, trust and advanced directive. Keep these in a fireproof safe or bank safe-deposit box.
Reduce Your Paper
To reduce your paper clutter, consider digitizing your documents by scanning them and converting them into PDF files so you can store them on your computer and back them up onto a cloud like Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud or iDrive.
PonderBits
Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
If the police arrest a mime do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
ANTIQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
Satin Glass Set Graced Victorian Table
Q: This is a photo of a ruby glass cracker jar, covered butter dish, covered sugar bowl and open bowl. They all have silver metal holders and are in excellent condition. I also have a matching flower basket, creamer and several other pieces I can’t identify. They are all decorated with hand-painted enameled flowers.
I recently inherited this set and hope you can provide information on the glass, age, maker and its value.
A: You have a Victorian ruby satin glass table set. Most table sets included a cream pitcher, sugar bowl, spoon holder, celery holder, butter dish and water pitcher. The flower basket could be a bride’s basket. You didn’t mention a manufacturer’s mark on your set. Without a manufacturer’s mark on any of the glass or metal pieces, it can be impossible to identify the maker.
Your circa 1900 set would probably be worth $400 to $500.
from the fairy tale Cinderella. The set includes a teapot, cream pitcher, sugar bowl, four cups, saucers and dessert plates.
The set belonged to my great-grandmother and is in very good condition. I plan to pass the set along to my granddaughter and hope you can tell me its history, age and value.
A: Your set was made by Warner-Keffer China Company. They made semiporcelain dinnerware in East Liverpool, Ohio, from 1908 to 1910. The letters included with the mark, “ELO,” stand for East Liverpool, Ohio, where the company was located. In addition to dinnerware, Warner-Keffer produced several lines of children’s tea sets decorated with nursery rhymes and Sun Bonnet Babies. Children’s tea sets are highly prized by collectors. Your early 20th-century set would probably be worth $175 to $225.
Warner-Keffer China Company was located in East Liverpool, Ohio.
Q: I have an Emmett Kelly Jr. clown cookie jar that is in excellent condition. He is standing and leaning against a barrel. It stands about 13 inches tall and is made in Japan.
I would like to know what it is worth.
A: Your cookie jar was imported from Japan by Flambro Imports who were located in Atlanta. Emmett Kelly Jr. is the son of Emmett Kelly Sr., the original famous clown. Kelly Jr. continued the tradition of the forlorn-appearing clown, Weary Willie.
Values for your cookie jar are anywhere from several hundred to over $600 dollars.
* * *
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. 30, 1988, President Ronald Reagan and President-elect George Bush were subpoenaed to testify at the trial of Oliver North, a former White House aide implicated in the Iran-Contra affair, in which arms were secretly sold to Iran while profits from the sale were diverted to guerrillas attempting to topple the Nicaraguan government.
* On Dec. 31, 1781, America’s first bank, the Bank of North America, received its charter from the Confederation Congress. It opened in Philadelphia on Jan. 7, 1782.
* On Jan. 1, 2008, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins won the NHL’s inaugural Winter Classic, the first regularseason game played outdoors in the U.S. in the league’s history, at New York’s Ralph Wilson Stadium.
* On Jan. 2, 2004, the NASA spacecraft Stardust collected dust grains from the Wild 2 comet, whose material was later revealed to contain glycine, an amino acid that is an essential building block of life.
* On Jan. 3, 1973, Congressman James Abourezk became the first Arab American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing his home state of South Dakota.
* On Jan. 4, 1964, Mary Sullivan was raped and strangled to death in her Boston apartment, after which her killer, Albert DeSalvo (aka the Boston Strangler) left a card reading “Happy New Year’s” against her foot. Sullivan would turn out to be the final victim of DeSalvo’s notorious crime spree, in which he assaulted and murdered a total of 13 women between 1962 and 1964. Under a deal with prosecutors, he wasn’t charged with or convicted of those crimes, but received a life sentence for a series of other assaults, and was stabbed to death by an unidentified fellow inmate in 1973.
* On Jan. 5, 1643, Anne Clarke, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was granted a divorce from her husband, Denis Clarke, by Boston’s Quarter Court. Denis confessed to abandoning Anne and their two children for another woman, by whom he also had two children, and refused to return to Anne. It was the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies.
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
"There's a Mr. Tilbin here to see you, sir. Shall I tell him you're on the phone, in a meeting or out of the office?"
Q: This mark is on a child’s porcelain tea set. Each dish is decorated with scenes
Victorian Ruby Satin Glass Table Set, circa 1900.
One of the biggest factors causing folks to bail out is setting unrealistic goals. Fixing an unreasonable amount of weight to lose in the next six months or setting a specific body weight leads people to abandon the objective. A realistic goal of what’s attainable greatly boosts the chances of success.
• A concept known as “identity attachment” affects resolution success. If a person allows a resolution to define his/her self-worth, setbacks can discourage both progress and motivation and diminishes feelings of self-worth.
• For those who lack the stamina to keep their resolutions, unofficial dates have been set to celebrate their failure, such as January 17 which has been declared “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day,” or the second Friday in January denoted as “Quitter’s Day.” There’s also a day set aside to recommit to resolutions.
• June 1 is unofficially known as “New Year’s Resolution Recommitment Day,” providing the opportunity to hit the reset button on goals.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Changers
by Jason Jenkins
The backswing relies upon many moving parts, but owes a lot of its consistency and control to the ankles. The back foot and ankle can be the cornerstone upon which proper body pivot and weight shift is built upon.
Many amateurs suffering from a “rolling ankle” which implies that the ankle and foot lose support in the backswing by rolling to the outside of the foot’s support. Once the ankle gives, the knee and hip are sure to follow. The rolling and bending of the leg make it difficult to control the body’s height, and inhibits shifting weight correctly in the forward swing.
From address, the weight should start on the ball of the foot and on the inside of the foot as well. During the backswing, the weight will shift slightly back toward the heel, but remain on the inner half of the foot. The knee will help keep the weight in its appropriate place by not over rotating to the outside of the foot’s support. The body should turn against a supportive ankle and knee, rather than succumbing to a rolling action.
• How Much Savings Can I Expect?
• Total Install Time Start to Finish
• Purchase vs Lease vs PPA (Power Purchase Agreement)
• Effects of Global Warming
• CA Renewable Energy Act
• Big Utilities Fight to Slowdown Solar Adoption (for Cleaner Planet)
