Vol 21: #7 • Classic Novels • (2-9-2025) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
by Kathy Wolfe
In order for a novel to be considered a classic it must present a well-crafted story of the highest quality that has endured the test of time. A classic has to include a thought-provoking tale that can be read and enjoyed again and again while still holding the interest of readers. This week Tidbits invites you to sit back and learn some interesting facts we’ve found that lie behind some of history’s classic novels
• “Call me Ishmael.” These three words are the opening lines of the renowned novel Moby Dick, penned by novelist Herman Melville in 1850 –1851. Melville based the story on an elusive reallife whale named Mocha Dick, a sea creature named after the island of Mocha, which lies 25 miles off the coast of southern Chile.
• The island was near the location where sailors first encountered the 70-foot albino sperm whale, a huge and dangerous aquatic mammal well known for attacking and destroying whaling boats. The real-life whale was finally killed in 1839, and was found with 19 harpoons lodged in its sides.
TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
(Answers on page 16)
We’ve all heard of the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and the Pike’s Peak Marathon. But how many of us are familiar with the one that's all about Man versus Horse? This week Tidbits heads to the country of Wales to investigate this unusual annual event.
• Every June, the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells hosts the 22-mile (35-km) Man versus Horse Marathon, which pits runners against horseback riders throughout the Welsh countryside over a course of roads, trails, mountainous terrain, and steep, rocky hills.
• Participants wade through streams and boggy marshes and an ascent over 4,500 feet as they head toward the finish line in the June heat. In the final two miles of their grueling trek, they endure a waist-high river crossing.
• The idea for this unusual event surfaced in a local pub in 1980. Two men were squabbling over whether a man could beat a horse in a long-distance race. The owner of the Neuadd Arms Tavern overheard the discussion, decided that the premise should be tested, (especially since the publicity would certainly boost his business), and organized the first Man versus Horse Marathon.
1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the spaceship on the TV drama “Firefly”?
2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only tropical rainforest in the United States?
3. LITERATURE: What is the title of author Oscar Wilde’s only complete novel?
4. MOVIES: What is the name of the killer in the movie “Silence of the Lambs”?
5. SCIENCE: What are the three branches of science?
6. AD SLOGANS: Which fast-food chain’s slogan is, “What you crave”?
7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many NFL teams are named after animals (including birds)?
8. U.S. STATES: In which state is the U.S. Naval Academy located?
9. ASTRONOMY: How many constellations are visible from Earth?
10. ART: What is the Japanese art of arranging flowers called? Answers
1. Serenity.
2.
Rico.
is the limit, along with another 150 in relay teams. Sixty horses and riders are allowed to take part. And it’s not just “man” against horses – in 1981, Ann King became the first woman to run the race.
• Horses were the steady winners every year until 2004, when seasoned marathon runner, 27-year-old Huw Lobb finally beat all the horses, finishing in 2 hours and 5 minutes, beating the fastest horse by a full two minutes and collecting $45,000 for his efforts. Three years later, man took the title again, with Florien Holtinger, who had trained for the race in the Alps, seizing victory over the fastest horse by almost a minute.
• There was a long 15-year drought for human winners from 2008 until 2022 when a 37-yearold firefighter named Rick Lightfoot crossed the finish line two minutes ahead of the fastest horse and rider, with a time of two hours, 22 minutes, and 23 seconds. After becoming just the third human to finish ahead of the horses, he was back to work at his job at 7:30 the next morning.
• In 2023, it was another human victory as Daniel Connolly was crowned the fourth human winner in the 42-year history, beating the fastest horse by nearly 10 minutes. The second place participant was also a human. The title reverted back to the horses in 2024.
• However, Llanwrtyd Wells isn’t the only community to host a Man versus Horse event. In the U.S. since 1983, Prescott, Arizona, has held the marathon, offering three distances – a 50-miler, 25 miles, and a half marathon. Dores, Scotland has its own smaller version of the race, as does North Island, New Zealand.
• Llanwrtyd Wells, population 600, has its origins as a spa town. In 1732, the local vicar, Reverend Theophilus Evans, who had long been feeling sickly, sampled waters in the area that were reputed to have healing properties. After swallowing several mouthfuls of the boggy water, he reportedly was quickly cured of the scurvy.
• Word of his cure began to spread, and soon hundreds of people were journeying to the area to “test the waters" themselves and benefit from its medicinal effects. As more people continued to arrive, the little town of Llanwrtyd began to spring up around the waters.
• In order to participate in the event, runners must be at least 18 years of age, while the horse rider’s minimum age is 16, and the horse must be at least five years old. 650 individual runners
El Yunque National Forest, Puerto
• Melville’s book was far from popular, selling only 3,715 copies during his lifetime, with sales of just $556, about $253,000 in today’s dollars. His recognition plummeted, and Melville took a job as a customs inspector.
• He died in 1891, and it wasnʼt until the novel was mentioned in his obituary that curious readers began to track down his other novels, every one of which had gone out of print by 1876. Moby Dick was reprinted and its popularity began a new growth, eventually becoming one of the most widely-read novels in history
• Herman Melville dedicated Moby Dick to his good friend and neighbor Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlett Letter
• Nathaniel Hawthorne published The Scarlett Letter in 1850, the story of Hester Prynne, a woman married to a much-older man who refuses to join her in Boston after their emigration from Europe.
• After his three-year absence, Hester engages in a relationship with a man in the community, gets pregnant and gives birth to a child. She is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” (for “adulteress”) on her clothing for the rest of her life.
• The story is set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1642-1649. While many praised
NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE
The phrase "Big Brother is watching you" was conceived by George Orwell in his 1949 Novel 1984. Big Brother is the totalitarian leader who wields total power over Oceania, where the inhabitants are not entitled to privacy. The character Winston Smith rebels against the Party in this story that questions the social and political structure of Government.
the book, others called it scandalous for the time. The book made Hawthorne a well-known writer, with the first printing selling out in ten days. However, he didn’t get rich from the sales. Royalties were often less than a penny per copy, and Hawthorne earned just $1,500 over the last 14 years of his life.
• Irish writer Oscar Wilde’s fantasy novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was released in 1891, the story of a very handsome young man who sells his soul for eternal youth. When Dorian Gray receives a painting of himself, he is warned that his beauty and youth will soon fade. Not content with such a repulsive fate, Gray makes a bargain with the devil and trades places with the painting so that he will maintain his beauty and youth while the picture ages.
• Gray begins to indulge in a selfish, lavish lifestyle, drawn irresitibly to evil and denying himself no decadent pleasure. As he loses all sense of remorse, the painting indeed ages and takes on a cruel expression reflecting Gray’s immoral actions, while he remains young and handsome.
• When he sees the dramatic decline of the painting, Gray attempts a few honorable acts to see if the decay of the art will reverse. When he sees no change, he stabs the painting in the heart in a fit of rage. Dorian Gray is found dead on the floor as a very aged old man, while the portrait has returned to its original handsome state.
lifestyles of the elite English upper class and the poverty and squalor of France’s lower class.
• The opening line isn’t the only memorable quote – the final line is also well-known. “It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
• Speaking of impressive lines, “Do anything rather than marry without affection” are the words of Mr. Bennet, the family patriarch in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.” The story of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s change of heart toward rich and prideful Mr. Darcy was completed when Austen was just 21 years old.
• She initially called the book First Impressions, but after being rejected by a publishing house, her novel about young women trying to find
1. What is the first name of Mr. Darcy in the novel Pride and Prejudice?
2. What novel had the subtitle The Modern Prometheus?
• Can you identify one of history’s most widelyread novels by its opening line? “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” These are the first words of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, first published in 1859.
• The classic book is commonly assigned on high school and college reading lists, contributing to the 210 million copies sold over the decades. Dickens first released it in 31 weekly installments in the literary periodical “All the Year Round,” enabling Dickens to hold on to his readers by maintaining suspense.
• Set during the French Revolution, 1775 to 1792, the author writes of two cities, London and Paris, contrasting the differences between the lavish
By Lucie Winborne
* It is illegal to publish photographs of handcuffed suspects in France, as they’re not to appear guilty until actually proved so.
* St. Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman. Originally called the Island of the Iguanas by early Carib settlers, the name was later changed after French seamen were shipwrecked there on Dec. 13, the feast day of St. Lucy.
* Studies have shown that spending only a few minutes every day in the New York City subway system can ultimately result in hearing loss.
* Pope Gregory I decreed that rabbit fetuses were marine mammals and they could therefore be eaten during Lent.
* A bobsled is so named because early racers bobbed their heads back and forth in an attempt to gain speed. (It didn’t work.)
* The annual World’s Biggest Liar competition in Cumbria, England invites entrants from around the world to tell the biggest and most convincing lie they can muster in five minutes. No props or scripts are allowed, nor are politicians or lawyers permitted to compete, as “they are judged to be too skilled at telling porkies.”
* More than four tons of old U.S. paper money is mulched into compost every day.
* Cockroaches are so repulsed by hu mans that if they’re touched by a human, not only do they run away, but they wash themselves. (Personal to cockroaches: The feeling is mutual!)
by Mary Hunt
How to Turn Scrap Gold Into Cash Without Getting Ripped Off
by Mary Hunt
I promise not to ask if you remember when the price of gold was fixed at $35 an ounce or when U.S. currency was tied to the gold standard (hint: The Gold Standard Act was passed on March 14, 1900, but later suspended). Things have changed drastically over the years, with gold now hovering around $1,800 per ounce.
Let’s turn to your jewelry box, shall we? Remember all that gold you bought in the 1980s when QVC and Home Shopping Channel were coming into their own? And when you could buy gold chains by the inch at county fairs and community swap meets?
All of those chains, bracelets and ear-
your precious metal castoffs is to visit a local gold and silver dealer. It may be called a “coin shop.” These coin dealers are usually trained in numismatics. They sell bullion as well as collectable currency. The shop near where I live will buy anything made of precious metal -- silver teapots, sterling flatware, commemorative coins. And they buy junk gold or silver jewelry.
Once you have determined the highest bid, don’t be afraid to haggle. These jewelers and coin dealers are not going to offer the going rate of gold; they will offer a significantly lower amount that will allow them to have the metal melted down so that it can be sold or reworked into new pieces of jewelry. Remember, jewelers and coin dealers are looking to make the best deal, too.
You will not get anywhere near $1,800 an ounce for the gold content in your scrap pieces. But you’ll get a lot more than you have right now, should you decide to leave all those broken pieces to languish in the back of your jewelry box.
* Bananas are curved because they grow towards the sun, in a process called “negative geotropism.” ***
Thought for the Day: ful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” -- Marcel Proust
They may be classics, but not everyone agrees about their suitability. Here are some facts about a few books that have, for one reason or another, been censored and banned over the years, yet still maintain their popularity despite the indignation of their detractors.
CATCHER IN THE RYE
• Some critics criticize J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel Catcher in the Rye labeling it as blasphemous and anti-family, while others praise the book for its accurate depiction of a lonely, sensitive, and rebellious teenager. In the book, young Holden Caulfield struggles as a 16-year-old to find his way in 1950s New York City.
• While some insist it should be studied due to its relevance to high school students, it’s also cited as promoting foul language, suicidal thinking, underage drinking, defamation of God, and lack of effort in studies. In 1960, an Oklahoma teacher was fired for assigning the novel to her high school students.
• Catcher has appeared on the most censored book list, while in the same year named as the second-most taught took in public schools
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
• Awarded the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature and on a list of books that are “most often cited as making a difference,” To Kill A Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies. The book has been translated into more than 40 languages, and has never been out of print.
• Yet with all these credentials this classic story has been banned in many school districts, and is one of the most frequently challenged books due to themes of rape, profanity, and racial injustice.
• Author Harper Lee based the novel on her own family and neighbors in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, and an actual event that occurred there in 1936 when she was ten. OF MICE AND MEN
• For decades, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men was on the list of the Top 10 most-commonly taught books in high schools across the nation. It’s the story of two migrant ranch workers moving to different locations as they search
for jobs during the Great Depression. Lennie Small has an intellectual disability and his friend George Milton keeps a close eye on him.
• Steinbeck based Lennie on a real person who was sent to an insane asylum for killing a ranch foreman with a pitchfork after the foreman fired his friend. In the book, Steinbeckʼs story has Lennie accidentally killing the foreman’s wife. He wrote the first draft in longhand on notepaper, and suffered a setback when his dog ate the manuscript.
• Of Mice and Men has been proposed for censorship 54 times since it was first published and is the fifth most frequently challenged piece of literature on the list of 100 Most Banned or Challenged Books. In addition to strong language, racial slurs, and violence, critics have challenged Steinbeck’s “anti-business attitude” as well as his patriotism.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
• Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath was published in April 1939. By August of that year it had already been banned and burned in several locations, most prominently the site of the travel destination of the novel’s fictional main characters.
• During Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl of the 1930s, more than 500,000 were left homeless and began migration to California. Residents of Kern County, California, a destination of many displaced farmers, felt that Steinbeck had
portrayed them unfairly, diminishing the efforts they were making to actually help migrants. In retaliation, the book was banned from their libraries and schools and copies were publicly burned. Still, the famous book appears on lists of “Best-loved Novels” and “100 novels everyone should read.”
by Dana Jackson
Q: Who is Selena Gomez’s fiancée? Is he an actor? I hope she’s finally found happiness. -- K.I.
A: Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) announced her engagement to music producer/songwriter Benny Blanco in December of last year, shortly before they attended the Golden Globes together where Gomez was nominated. Blanco has worked with two of Gomez’s famous exes, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, and even co-wrote and produced two of his future fiancée’s songs on her 2015 album “Revival.”
The two first met when Gomez recorded songs for Disney while starring in her hit show “The Wizards of Waverly Place.” Blanco was already a successful producer, working with pop superstars like Katy Perry and Britney Spears. However, they were just friends and professional
collaborators and didn’t start dating until mid2023.
The two also share a love of cooking. Gomez hosts “Selena + Chef” on Max, and Blanco published his cookbook “Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends,” which became a New York Times bestseller. He even cooked Thanksgiving dinner for Gomez and a group of 50 people. Most of all, he makes her happy, and friends agree that no one else has treated her as well as him.
***
Q: Is it true that Billy Corgan and Bill Burr are brothers? Did they take a DNA test, or have they known all this time and just never went public with it? -- D.E.
A: Despite having essentially the same first name, singer Billy Corgan and stand-up comedian Bill Burr might be half brothers. No 23andMe-like DNA test has been performed, but they both were recently bombarded into revealing their story on, of all places, a Howie Mandel podcast. Mandel invited both on his show without them knowing that it would be an unexpected family re-
union. A few months ago, Smashing Pumpkins lead vocalist Corgan was a guest on the podcast and revealed that his stepmother once told him that Burr “might be one of the children that [his] father sired in his days being a traveling musician.” While Burr knew about the theory, he wasn’t prepared to talk about it on the podcast and scolded Mandel for forcing the public reunion. According to Entertainment Weekly, by the end of the episode, Burr was convinced that he and Corgan are indeed half-brothers.
***
Q: Who is the Asian actress who played the doctor who wanted a baby in “No Good Deed” on Netflix? Was she in “Hacks,” too? -- N.N.
A: Actress Poppy Liu plays Dr. Sarah Weber on the new Netflix series “No Good Deed.” She is also part of the supporting cast of the Emmywinning Max series “Hacks,” who earned a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2022. Her breakout role was on the short-lived NBC sitcom “Sunnyside,” which eventually led to a recurring role for her on the “iCarly” reboot and the critically acclaimed series “Better Call Saul.” Next up for the very busy Liu is the comedy film “I Love Boosters” with recent Oscar nominee Demi Moore, as well as the upcoming Netflix series “His & Hers” with Tessa Thompson. “Hacks” is expected to return for its fourth season this coming May.
* * *
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc
Good Recipes from
Sausage and Pepper Grill
Serve this no-fuss main course with crusty peasant bread.
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 medium red peppers
2 medium green peppers
2 large red onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage links
3/4 pound hot Italian sausage links
1. In cup, mix balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. In large bowl, toss sliced red and green peppers and onions with olive oil to coat.
2. Place sausages and vegetables on grill over medium heat. Cook sausages 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Cook vegetables, about 15 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally and brushing with some balsamic mixture during last 3 minutes of cooking. Transfer vegetables and sausages to platter as they finish cooking.
3. To serve, cut sausages into 2-inch diagonal slices. Drizzle any remaining balsamic mixture over vegetables. Serves 4.
Baked Coffee Custards
1 teaspoon instant-coffee granules
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup coffee-flavor liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt
18 chocolate-covered coffee beans for garnish
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease eight 6-ounce custard cups. In small saucepan over medium heat, stir coffee and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into custard cups.
2. In large bowl with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar until blended. Beat in milk, coffee liqueur and salt until mixed; pour mixture into custard cups.
3. Place custard cups in large open roasting pan; fill pan with hot water to come halfway up side of custard cups.
4. Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted in
center of custard comes out clean.
5. Remove custard cups from the pan of water. Place cups on cookie sheet; cover; refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 3 hours.
6. To serve, with knife, carefully loosen custard from cups; invert each onto a dessert plate; allow syrup to drip from cup onto custard. Garnish each with three chocolate-covered coffee beans. Serves 8.
Each serving: About 270 calories.
For hundreds of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/.
By John Allen
DIAMOND LIL
by Brett Koth
NEXT WEEK IN
THE Printing Press TIDBITS
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2/9 Super Bowl LIX
2/10 National Football Hangover Day
2/11 Shut-In Visitation Day
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2/13 World Radio Day
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2/15 Susan B. Anthony Day
Dog Talk with Uncle Matty
By Matthew Margolis
On Grounding Jumpers
Before you even reach the door, you hear it. Thump, thump, thump -- his tail against the floor. He knows you’re home; he heard the car pull into the drive. You hear the slightest whimper as you linger, fumbling through a ring of keys. The thumping grows louder, faster, with an air of impatience to it now: What’s taking so long? Don’t you know I’m waiting for you?
Boy, do you know!
As you slide the key into the lock and turn the doorknob, you brace yourself. The whimper bursts into a barrage of high-pitched yelps as the door swings open. For the next few minutes, you stand your ground as your best bud tries to scale you like Mt. McKinley.
You’ve got a jumper on your hands. Are you going to stand there and play kissee-face all day, or are you going to do something about it?
Let’s face it, when a dog leaps into the air and turns pirouettes in your honor, it’s cute -- to you. Some people may not see the adorable side of it. While you love your pooch unconditionally, others have conditions -- i.e., that he doesn’t ruin their clothing, knock them down, slobber all over their face and hump their leg when they visit. Fair enough.
Thankfully, it’s easy to catch him in the act and immediately correct him, which is how you solve most dog behavioral problems.
First, what not to do: stepping on his back toes and kneeing him in the chest are Gestapo measures, not corrections. These tactics are inhumane.
The best solution is to prevent the problem from developing.
Decide right now that your dog won’t be allowed to jump on you or other people. Be consistent. Correct mistakes. Praise him when he keeps his paws on the ground. Offer toys and affection at his level, rather than holding them high for him to jump up and retrieve.
And if you don’t want him to jump on people, you can’t allow him to jump on the furniture or
Here we go again. Because of the recently announced avian influenza, many hens have had to be culled, now leaving fewer to produce eggs. Supply and demand being what it is, the price of eggs has jumped up again because there are now fewer eggs.
A recent trip to the store was a shocker. In the space of less than 10 days, a dozen eggs at my local store had shot up over $2 ... to a whopping $6.95 for large eggs. This wasn’t even extra large or jumbo.
I almost walked away without buying eggs. Instead, I pulled out my calculator and did the math. At that price, each egg cost 58 cents. A two-egg omelet would, therefore, cost $1.16 for the eggs, and would provide 12 grams of protein.
And it was then that I realized something: For all the complaining I’ve done about the price
The Art of DESIGN
by Joseph Publillones
Bathroom Makeover
How many times do you go into your bathroom and say to yourself “this bathroom needs a makeover”? You may be afraid of the costs of doing a head to toe bathroom renovation, but there may be small improvements that can be done within a budget that will make every visit to the “throne” a little bit nicer.
Walls
of eggs, maybe the price really isn’t so bad when it’s calculated that way.
To be considered: There is tuna with a high protein level, but we’re told not to eat it every day because of the mercury in many types. There’s rice, but we shouldn’t have that every day either because of the arsenic in it. (And how many of us adhere to the 1/4-cup serving size?) Beef is a protein powerhouse, but where are we going to get a serving of beef for $1.16? Not at my store.
In my hunt for “cheap protein,” I discovered cottage cheese. One 1/2-cup serving gets us 14 grams of protein and costs 72 cents. Two tablespoons of peanut butter gets us 7 grams of protein.
Then there are beans, lentils and oatmeal, and a snack of cheese with a few grapes and crackers.
So, instead of looking at the cost of an item (and cringing), maybe we need to look instead at the cost of a serving.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@ gmail.com.
(c) KingFeaturesSyndicate
and help in the overall feel of the bathroom. Make sure they are lights specifically for bathrooms, so they will be able to handle the moisture. Brighter bathrooms will always seem cleaner. While you are at it, install a dimmer to help set the mood for a long spa-like bath or shower. Budget range of $300 and higher.
Floors
While flooring sounds like a big-to-do, there are ways of sprucing up tile floor. You can have the floor professionally steam cleaned and have the grout stained and sealed a different color. Alternatively, there are linoleum and vinyl tiles on the market, which are easy to install.
Fixtures
Cody’s Corner (from page 9)
sleep in your bed. If your dog is allowed to jump up onto furniture, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make him understand why he can’t also jump on you.
Who’s the boss here? Don’t ask him. He doesn’t care. But he will fill the position if it remains open.
See the “Jumping on Furniture” section of my book “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things,” available at www.unclematty.com, for help with teaching “Place” and other tips to keep those paws on the ground.
Think about it: If your dog is trained to Sit/ Stay and Down/Stay on command, he won’t jump. He can’t! He’s too busy pleasing you! This is a perfect example of how obedience training relates to problem solving. It really works.
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.
Personally, I adore an all-white bathroom, but for some it may be boring. Plain Jane white bathrooms are easy to work with because the addition of just a bit of color on the walls can make a big difference. Paint is easy, and for most normal sized bathrooms can be accomplished for under $500 dollars. A solid color is a safe bet, but there are stencils that can be applied over for a more interesting combination. In addition, stripes can be accomplished with a bit of patience, painter’s tape and a contrasting color.
Wallpaper is yet another option to upgrade a standard or dated bathroom. Once you have selected a wallpaper that is to your likings, I suggest using a professional installer for a nice installation. This will cost a little bit more because of wall preparation including oil primer to avoid drywall damage in future removal and better adhesion of wallpaper to wall surface. Average costs can range from $750 and higher depending on the cost of the wallpaper.
Lighting Fixtures
Changing out a dated lighting fixture for a newer one may help the lighting in the room,
Changing out plumbing fixtures can make a big impact in a bathroom reno. Changing out the faucets may seem hard, but if you follow the instructions in the package and have all the pertinent tools, you will be amazed that you can do it yourself. For harder to install shower fixtures, the helping hand of a plumber might be needed.
Glass shower enclosures are a sure way to revamp your bathroom. Once an item that had to be custom-ordered, most home renovation stores have a variety of glass enclosures for most standard tubs and showers, ready for you to install, most for under $700.00.
Bath Accessories
A new set of wastebasket, tumbler, soapdish and lotion dispenser can freshen up the counter tops. A new shower curtain can also help update a bathroom, and smaller bathrooms will look larger if you have a custom shower-curtain made that hangs from the ceiling. New towel bars, robe hooks and grab-bars are yet another way to give your existing bathroom a new look. Finally, new towels are the finishing touch to new bathroom. With some of these ideas, you are sure to love spending time in your bathroom. Hail to la salle de bain! * * * 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.
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
by Tom Margenau
Why Some People Don’t Pay Into Social Security
In some columns I wrote earlier this month about the repeal of laws that affect people who spent a large portion of their careers working at jobs that were not covered by Social Security, it became very clear to me that many people wondered why that is. Even many people who work at such noncovered jobs were confused. So why are some jobs not covered by Social Security? Here is the story.
When the Social Security laws were first passed in 1935, the program was mandatory for almost all Americans, the vast majority of whom did not have any kind of pension plan where they worked.
But at the time, Congress decided that they could not force a federal pension plan (Social Security) on state and local government employees. So, they gave them the option of joining Social Security or not. Most did. Over the years, other state and local groups who did not originally join Social Security eventually signed on to the program. But to this day, there are still large blocks of state and local employees, such as teachers in some states and firefighters and police officers in other states, who are not covered by the Social Security system. They usually have their own retirement pension system. They constitute about 20% of all state and local government workers.
Another group not covered by Social Security is career railroad workers. The Railroad Retirement System was set up in 1934, one year before Social Security came into being. But once Social Security became law, the two programs developed a special relationship that still exists to this day. For example, if you have more than 10 years of railroad work, but other years where you worked and paid into Social Security, your Social Security earnings will be transferred to the Railroad Retirement Board, and they will pay you a combined benefit. On the other hand, if you have less than 10 years
of railroad work, and the rest of your career was at jobs covered by Social Security, then your railroad earnings will be transferred to the Social Security Administration, and those railroad earnings will just be incorporated into your Social Security records.
The other large group of workers who were initially not covered by Social Security were federal government employees. Back in 1935, Congress said that federal government employees did not need to be covered by the new Social Security program. Why? Because federal employees were already covered by the civil service retirement system that had been around since 1920.
But over the years, Congress felt an increasing amount of pressure to bring federal employees into the Social Security fold. There were two main reasons. No. 1: You could make the case that all workers in the country should be covered by the same retirement system. (Although to be true to that philosophy, you would have to make all state and local workers and all railroad workers part of the Social Security program, too.)
But reason No. 2 was the bigger factor: As federal government employees, members of Congress and the judiciary, and the president, did not pay into Social Security. They were covered by the same civil service retirement system as all other federal employees. And it was politically embarrassing for politicians to be making laws about a retirement program (Social Security) that they were not a part of.
This led to all kinds of conspiracy theories (that still exist to this day) that top members of government get fat and lucrative pensions while scattering crumbs to the peasants in the form of meager Social Security benefits. This was never true. But millions of Americans believed it, and many still do.
Anyway, by the 1980s, the political pressure to bring federal employees into the Social Security tent was too great. In 1983, a law was passed saying that all federal employees hired after Dec. 31, 1983, would be covered by the Social Security system. At the same time, the law decreed that effective Jan. 1,
1. The book of 3 Timothy is found in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither
2. Who said, "Lo, I dwell in a house of cedars but the ark of the covenant remaineth under curtains"? a) David b) Nathan c) Saul d) Solomon
1984, all members of Congress, the president, the vice president and federal judges would also start paying into Social Security. (So let’s get rid of that myth.)
The new retirement program that Congress set up was called the Federal Employees Retirement System, or FERS. They gave all old government employees hired before 1984 the option of switching from the Civil Service Retirement System to FERS. By the way, I was one of those people; I was hired in 1973. I remember that I struggled mightily with that decision. Should I stick with CSRS or switch to FERS? (There were some advantages -- too complicated to explain here -- to making the switch.) I finally decided to stay with CSRS. Frankly, to this day, I’m not sure I made the right move. I have several old friends and former colleagues who switched to FERS, and now that we are all retired, it looks to me like they are a little better off than I am. But that’s my problem, not yours.
FERS employees had Social Security taxes taken out of their paychecks. They also had an extra deduction from their salary to fund a federal retirement benefit designed to supplement their Social Security checks. So old federal retirees like me get just one CSRS pension check each month, but those retirees who are covered by FERS get a Social Security check and a smaller FERS pension check -- smaller than CSRS pension checks, that is. The intent of the new program was that a combination of Social Security and FERS benefits should roughly equal what CSRS retirees were getting. But, as I said, some of my FERS friends seem to be getting more. Oh, well.
Anyway, that’s the story behind the issue that some people don’t pay into Social Security. To put things in perspective, all the people whose jobs are not covered by Social Security that I’ve been talking about in this column (some state and local employees, railroad workers and old federal retirees like me) make up only about 10% of the workforce in this country. In other words, 90% of people in the United States work at jobs that are covered by Social Security.
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 2025 CREATORS.COM
3. From Numbers 12, why was Miriam shut out of camp for seven days? a) Leprous b) Falsehood c) Theft d) Heresy
4. Who took David in as his own after the slaying of Goliath? a) Jonathan b) Saul c) Jesse d) Eliakim
5. What was the approximate height of Goliath in cubits? a) Five b) Six c) Seven d) Eight
6. Upon which mountain did Aaron, older brother of Moses, Die? a) Pisgah b) Moriah c) Sinai d) Hor
(Answers on page 16)
comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com
Understanding the Mechanisms Behind a Nuclear Stress Test
DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a comment about your recent column on nuclear stress tests. As an 87-year-old person who has experienced atrial fibrillation and a mild stroke, I have had two nuclear stress tests done. In both cases, I told the supervising nurse I wanted to go to the max limits that they would allow. Even though I attempted to prepare by briskly walking up the hill close to my home and thought I was doing well on the treadmill, I failed to reach the final parameters that they were seeking.
To get me there, I was injected with something (the name escapes me) that is supposed to achieve the same result as the final stage of a nuclear stress test. As I recall the discussion, the nurse stated that many couldn’t get as far as I did. Medications were a way for them to obtain the needed results. J.M.
ANSWER: Stress testing may be done for several reasons, but the most common is to determine whether there are blockages in the arteries in the heart that are severe enough to limit blood flow. When ordering a stress test, the clinician has to decide how to stress the heart and get information from it.
In people who can exercise (meaning they don’t have an orthopedic or neurological condition that keeps them from being able to move), then using exercise is the best approach in almost all cases. Exercise is safer since you can stop doing it at any time, and it also provides useful information.
People who can exercise for a longer time (9 minutes on a standard protocol called a Bruce) have a very good prognosis; whereas if you can’t make it to 3 minutes, this is a
poor prognosis.
The treadmill gets steeper and faster every 3 minutes on a Bruce protocol so that eventually even an Olympic athlete has to give up. The goal is to get to maximum exercise where a person simply can’t go any further.
The person who runs the stress test looks for any sign of incipient heart damage through an electrocardiogram (EKG), a blood pressure monitor, or symptoms so that the test can be stopped if it seems dangerous.
Despite trying really hard, some people cannot get their heart rate and blood pressure high enough where the stress test can diagnose heart disease. In this case, the exercise stress test is converted to a pharmacologic stress test. A medication, such as dobutamine, is given to make the heart beat faster and stronger until the adequate workload is achieved.
Many of my patients tell me that this is uncomfortable, and more than once, I have heard someone say, “My heart was going to jump out of my chest.” If there are signs of danger, the medication can be stopped, and in some cases, a reversal agent is given.
Once the heart is at an adequate level of exertion, abnormalities in the blood flow can be detected by the EKG. However, the test’s sensitivity can be improved by looking at blood flow through a radioactive chemical injected in the blood, which can measure blood flow to various regions of the heart more precisely. The sensitivity can also be improved by examining the heart’s wall movement through echocardiography.
In other cases, a more limited stress test is done to determine the safety of exercise. This is often done after a heart attack to determine which exercises a person can do as part of their cardiac rehab.
* * * 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) 2025 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved
VETERANS POST
by Freddie Groves
New Benefits Guide for 2025
The Department of Veterans Affairs has released a new publication that you’ll want to see. The “2025 VA Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers” is now available.
Go online to va.gov and search for “pamphlet 80-25-1” for a link to the handbook.
This 120-page handbook is full of info you may need, if not now then later. Whether it’s education benefits, life insurance, home loans or mental health resources and more, it’s there. Just seeing it all in one publication is an eye-opener. We really do have a lot of benefits.
The guide is well done. Somebody was realy thinking it through when they included all the eligibility requirements for each benefit, including the periods of service.
Right in the front is a list of help phone numbers, ranging from Camp Lejeune Family Member Program, to National Cemetery Scheduling Office, to 72-Hour Emergency Care Notification Line and many more. This is followed by pages of department websites, complete with click links right in the online document.
Save the links as a bookmarks on your computer so you can find them again.
Getting a printed copy, however, might be a bit difficult. A recent VA news release says that “a limited number” of copies might be available at your closest VA facility. (See www.va.gov/find-locations for the ones near you.) Which means that by the time you read this, they’ll probably be gone. I would hope that veteran service organizations will print out a few copies of the handbook to have for a greater number of members to use.
If you don’t have a computer to access the handbook and your local VA facility doesn’t have copies, you can call the VA with your questions at 800-827-1000 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. They’ll get you to the right department.
For another collection of resources, see www.va.gov/welcome-kit for a Welcome Kit, even if you’re not new to the VA. It’s 53 pages and includes a mobile app for download.
* * *
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.
-- by Jim Miller
How to Choose and Use a Home Blood Pressure Monitor
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Can you offer me any tips on choosing and using a home blood pressure monitor? I just found out I have high blood pressure and my doctor recommended I get a good quality home monitor so I can keep tabs on it. -- Turning 63
Dear Turning: Everyone with high blood pressure (130/80 or higher) should have a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure in a comfortable setting. Plus, if you’re taking medication it will make certain it’s working, and alert you to a health problem if it arises.
Here are some top-rated blood pressure monitors to consider along with some tips to help ensure you take an accurate reading.
Best Monitors
The most accurate and easiest to use home blood pressure monitors today are electric/battery powered automatic arm monitors, which are more reliable than wrist or fingertip monitors. With an automatic arm monitor, you simply wrap the cuff around your bicep and with the push of one button the cuff inflates and deflates automatically giving you your blood pressure reading on the display window in a matter of seconds.
Many automatic monitors also come with additional features such as irregular heartbeat detection that checks for arrhythmias and other abnormalities; a risk category indicator that tells you whether your blood pressure is in the high range; a data-averaging function that allows you to take multiple readings and get an overall average; multiple
user memory that allows two or more users to save their readings; and downloadable memory that lets you transmit your data to your smartphone or computer.
The top five automatic arm monitors as recommended by Consumer Reports for 2025:
Omron Platinum BP5450 ($90)
Omron 10 Series BP7450 ($70), Omron Evolv BP7000 ($70)
A&D Medical UA767F ($55)
Omron 3 Series BP7100 ($55)
The top wrist monitors listed by Consumer Reports for 2025:
Omron 7 Series BP6350 ($55)
Equate (Walmart) 4500 Series ($40).
You can purchase these blood pressure monitors at pharmacies, medical supply stores or online and you don’t need a prescription to buy one. Prices, however, will vary slightly depending on where you buy.
How to Measure
After you buy your monitor, it’s a good idea to take it to your doctor’s office so they can check its accuracy and make sure you’re using it properly. Here are some additional steps to follow to ensure you get accurate measurements at home.
Be still: Don’t exercise, smoke or drink caffeinated drinks or alcohol for at least 30 minutes before measuring. Empty your bladder and ensure at least 5 minutes of quiet rest before measurements.
Sit correctly: Sit with your back straight and supported (on a dining chair, rather than a sofa). Your feet should be flat on the floor and your legs should not be crossed. Your arm should be supported on a
flat surface (such as a table) with the upper arm at heart level. Make sure the middle of the cuff is placed directly above the bend of the elbow. Check your monitor’s instructions for an illustration.
Don’t measure over cloths: Put the cuff directly on your bare skin. Putting it over clothes can raise your systolic (upper) number by up to 40 mmHg.
Measure at the same time: It’s important to take the readings at the same time each day, such as in the morning before taking medications, or evening before dinner.
Take multiple readings: Each time you measure, take at least two readings one minute apart and record the results.
For more information on high blood pressure numbers and how to accurately measure it at home, visit Heart.org/HBP
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.
3
good marriage matches sat unpublished for the next 14 years.
• But after the success of her next novel, Sense and Sensibility, the story of the three Dashwood sisters, which was a sensation in 1813, Austen revised First Impressions, changed the title to Pride and Prejudice, and it was finally published when she was 37 years old.
• Jane Austen didn’t use her name as the byline on her novels, penning instead, “By a Lady” on the flyleaf. Only after her death was her name released to the public by her brother.
• Just how rich was Mr. Darcy of the Pride and Prejudice story? The book states his income is 10,000 pounds a year, which, adjusted for inflation, would amount to about $19 million U.S. dollars. This amount didn’t even take his fortune and holdings into account.
• Mary Shelley was also a female author who signed her works anonymously. She wrote what is considered the first science fiction novel ever published, in 1818 at age 20. She conceived the idea of Frankenstein from a frightening dream, envisioning that “what terrified me will certainly terrify others.” She began writing the saga the very next day.
• Because she dedicated the book to her father William Godwin, and because her husband Percy Shelley wrote the preface, it was assumed that Shelly was the author. This misconception continued for years, even after Frankenstein was reprinted credited with her name.
• We’ve all made the mistake of calling the monster in the book “Frankenstein,” but in fact, the monster was unnamed. The young scientist in the story who brought the creature to life was named Victor Frankenstein, and that name stuck.
• Critics were not fond of the novel, bashing it in reviews such as, “What a tissue of horrible and disgusting absurdity this work presents.” Yet the book today is considered to be an enduring and influential novel among Western literature, portrayed in numerous adaptations in both film and theater.
Watching Won’t Help
One of the most tempting issues in golf is peeking to see if that six footer you just hit is going to go in or not. If there is anything golfers are more anxious to see the results on, it’s those pesky short putts.
The problem with looking for the majority of amateurs is that the whole body takes part in the watching activity. By allowing the legs, hips, chest and head to all turn toward the target in the follow through, the putter’s movements can be erratic. One time the putterface will close over too quickly.
The next putt you’ll sense the need to keep the face open longer. Either way, it’s a poor way to be a great short putter.
Better players have built two main processes into their short putting mechanics. One is keeping the eyes and head facing the ground for that second past impact. The other is locking the hips in place so they won’t turn toward the target in the follow through.
Usually the head movement will create a cascading effect of faulty movements, so trust that you can watch the ground where the ball had been for that extra second.
