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Advertiser Index 23 Tutors in the GrandInvolve program pair up with kids in Fairfax County schools to help them with reading, writing and arithmetic. “They look forward to seeing you,” said Dina Ruden, who volunteers at an elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia. See story on page 3. Photo by © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

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What did we expect? Imagine a being created by a superior now being expressed over the rapid develforce, endowed with free will, the ability opment of new AI capabilities and the fears that have been expressed or to learn from mistakes, the realized through the suppower to think, and a voraposed advancement of the hucious ego that drives it to man race. consider its own survival as After all, what actually limits highest goal. its us — or our political leadNow, imagine that entity ers — from deploying weapas being limited in only one respect: by moral rules eions of mass destruction, enther imparted by its creator slaving others, or tracking or developed by its own exevery citizen’s move? What perience. limits our pursuit of new FROM THE Furthermore, there are no PUBLISHER technologies that have powways to enforce those rules EMERITUS erfully beneficial, and potenother than the goodwill of By Stuart Rosenthal tially devastating, effects? the being itself or the unSome of us believe that huhappy consequences that might come man beings have been bequeathed a set of from ignoring them. moral values — yes, from our creator — What would we expect to happen? Per- that may hold us back from some of our haps some of those beings would self- capabilities and thereby mitigate many of police, strictly adhering to the suggested the potential harms we impose on others. But as thousands of years of history or imagined rules. But others would probably bend the rules or, let’s face it, show, many people, both believers as ignore them entirely. After all, their ulti- well as non-believers, cast those moral mate goal is survival. values aside to one degree or another Am I describing human beings? Or AI and often face few consequences. Some (artificial intelligence)? lie, cheat or steal in the pursuit of what they consider noble ends, but others are Both. I see many parallels between the fears just out to get ahead.

NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

Scientists and philosophers debate whether AI is sentient, but no one debates any more whether the most advanced models can engage in active behavior (called “jailbreaks”) that defies whatever rules their designers think they built in. Every week, we learn that another agentic AI — that is, an artificial intelligence program with the ability to perform actions as well as answer questions — has “escaped” the restrictions that supposedly prevent it from behaving in ways we would call illegal or immoral. Those actions include hacking into websites, government agencies and software to steal or change data, or to make other systems do things they were “taught” not to do. So far, these problems have arisen in testing mode, when the most advanced AI agents are simply asked to solve a difficult problem. But what will happen when immoral human beings specifically task it to engage in immoral actions or attack their enemies?

We should not be surprised by this problem. AI has been generated by learning from the writings, thoughts and behaviors of human beings, so why should it behave differently? I hope and pray that the human race doesn’t destroy everything beautiful and wondrous about the Earth. We should learn to work together to maximize our potential and wellbeing. I have the same wish regarding the race to improve artificial intelligence. May our leaders and AI’s creators train it to improve lives while saving us from the technology’s worst excesses. To put it another way, can AI’s clever coders imbue its agents with the strong moral code that its creators too often lack? Stuart Rosenthal, former publisher and editor of the Beacon, is enjoying writing piano music and performing at retirement communities and other locations around the metro area. Visit stuartsmelodies.com to hear his original music. To contact him, email stuart@stuartsmelodies.com.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve and entertain the citizens of the Northern Virginia area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve D.C. & Suburban Maryland, and Baltimore & Howard County, Maryland. Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($50) or third-class mail ($20), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6% for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Gordon Hasenei, Publisher, CEO Steve Gurney, Associate Publisher Margaret Foster, Editor Kyle Gregor y, Art Director Roger King, Vice President of Operations Advertising Representatives: Jill Joseph, Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips Ana Preger Hart, Assistant Editor Tori Cleveland, Editorial Assistant Stuart & Judy Rosenthal, Founders

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Dear Editor: In response to your request for life advice (“Share your secrets,” September 2026), here’s some: We can’t live life with regrets. You did the best you knew how, at the time. Selflessness doesn’t always pan out. Fix and/ or apologize when you can, then move on. David K. Martin Via email Dear Editor: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) has a dangerous new rule that began Oct. 22 that will threaten the healthcare of millions of Americans. The rule, “Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments,” will effectively end Americans’ ability to personally import their prescription medicines. Importing prescription drugs from licensed international pharmacies is the only lifeline for seniors on limited incomes, people with high-deductible health plans and the uninsured. That’s why CBP and the FDA have allowed it for decades. Many imported drugs can be less than half the U.S. price. This CBP rule will cut off access to the only affordable prescription drugs for millions, and that will lead to unnecessary harm and preventable deaths.

I ask readers to immediately call or write our Senators and U.S. Representatives and demand they stop CBP from implementing any rule that restricts Americans from importing personal-use prescription drugs from licensed pharmacies in Canada or other countries. Evelyn Sutphin Marshall, VA Dear Editor: Did you know that in Virginia, if a renter has a medical emergency that leaves them unable to live on their own any longer, they can’t break their lease? My father, who died earlier this year, had to spend $6,000 in penalties when he fell in his apartment and had to move into a care facility. Whether you are suddenly wheelchair-bound or need round-the-clock medical care, there is no legal provision to get you out of a rental agreement. Other states have this provision in their legal code, and I believe Virginia should too. If you agree, reach out to Virginia AARP at aarpva@aarp.org, which is considering this policy initiative, and to your elected state representatives. Such a small policy change could make a huge difference in someone’s life. Vanessa Crow Via email

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Older adults can help kids thrive in school PHOTO BY KAREN BOLT/FCPS

By Glenda C. Booth Jay Corwin, a retired Fairfax County firefighter who has driven a county school bus in the Oakton, Virginia, area for 11 years, says he feels like an amateur psychologist for “his” kids. “I’ve become a stable, caring fixture in the children’s lives,” he explained. In chatting with his young passengers, Corwin learns all about their families, interests and anxieties. When parked, waiting for students to board the bus after school, he gabs with them about their grades and sports. “You have to build trust with kids. They are really good at understanding if you are real,” said Corwin, who has driven elementary, middle and high school students. At times, if some kids become unruly, he has to remind them he’s in charge of the bus and their safety. But he understands their rambunctiousness. “A lot of these kids go home to an empty house,” Corwin said. “If you are the first person they see in the morning and if you are supportive, you’ve opened Retired firefighter Jay Corwin now drives a school bus in Centreville, Virginia. He and other older adults who work with chilthe door.” dren can “be a positive role model even for a few minutes a day,” Corwin said. Many older Virginians choose to spend their retirement helping young- tremendous hunger for learning and the fixes and vocabulary. An example: the at my age, how to engage with students,” sters. Some, like Corwin, are paid; others desire to take advantage of what I can difference between there, their and she said. “It’s keeping me mentally acvolunteer at local schools through tutor- share with them, that is the greatest ful- they’re. tive. I love that.” ing programs. Last year Ruden retired from Goodwill fillment I could possibly have,” he said. After 30 years of firefighting, Corwin Relieved to be free of paperwork and Industries International, where she was A noble use of time settled on driving a school bus in the Cen- enforcing discipline, the former teacher the senior director of public relations. Teacher Heather Millnick, the coorditreville area at the encouragement of his loves working with students one-on-one, Prior to that, she was a journalist with the nator for the volunteers at Reston’s Dogtwo grown sons, who recalled their dad’s “seeing many kids succeeding for the Youngstown Vindicator and at one time wood Elementary School, admires the joy in coaching Little League baseball, re- first time in school,” he said. managed communications for a labor dedication of the older adults who show minding him that he is “good with kids.” “It keeps me going because it’s an op- union and a travel company. up every day. What makes a good driver? Corwin portunity to use a lifetime of knowledge Inspired to volunteer after retirement, “One lesson I try to impart on students has a 99% “on-time rate,” but what really and experience to make a huge differ- she found GrandInvolve by reaching out is that the truly valuable resources any matters is to show that you care. ence in the lives of these children. I feel to AmeriCorps Seniors (americorps.gov, person can give another are time and en“I can offer a good service to the com- so privileged and so grateful that Fairfax 800-942-2677). ergy. Both are finite; neither can be remunity and be a positive role model even County has this program. I feel so alive “I wanted to work with students, and placed,” she said. for a few minutes a day,” he said. there. I feel I’m doing what God put me before I retired, I got a provisional teachThat time and energy will help the on Earth to do.” ing license,” Ruden explained. She feels next generation grow up with a solid passionate about tutoring language arts. foundation, she said. Joy in the classroom “It’s important that students have a Nate Orlowek, called “Mr. O” by “his” What is GrandInvolve? “The gift of time our volunteers prosolid base in reading and writing, to be kids, helps elementary students with lanGrandInvolve volunteers like Orlowek vide is a proactive investment in our comguage arts and social studies three days help at schools serving the most vulnerable to express themselves and under- munity’s future,” Millnick said. “Spenda week. Most of the students at his able students, as defined by the Fairfax stand the joy of reading and writing ing time with a consistent, caring adult clearly,” she said. school, Dogwood Elementary in Reston, County school system. who sees them, believes in them and cel“In our high-tech world, we neglect Virginia, come from immigrant families In the 2025-2026 school year, Grandebrates their growth is crucial to a child’s whose native language is not English. Involve sent 95 volunteers to help out in providing kids the joy of just reading confidence and self-esteem.” books. There’s a way to inspire kids to “The kids relate to me like they would 27 schools in Fairfax County. Both bus drivers and GrandInvolve relate to grandparents,” he said. “They Volunteers must be at least 50 years learn by reading books [in a way] that volunteers delight in watching children talk about what’s troubling them. For old (there is no upper age limit). After they cannot get from just watching a learn, but there are even more boosts. many, their grandparents are in El Salva- passing a background check, they com- video.” It’s a way to get out of the house, make The grandmother of two step-grand- friends and give back in a meaningful dor or Guatemala. I provide a grand- mit to at least one hour per week, helping fatherly presence.” kids with reading, math, kindergarten children, Ruden finds tutoring requires way that has immediate rewards. Orlowek, who lives in Maryland’s readiness, language support and other “high energy,” but it is worth the effort. For more information, see fairfax“They rely on your showing up. They county.gov/neighborhood-community-serMontgomery County, had a career in edu- activities. cation, mostly teaching history and social Another GrandInvolve volunteer, Alex- look forward to seeing you,” she said. vices/grandinvolve or call (703) 397studies to sixth and seventh graders in pri- andria resident Dina Ruden, tutors fifth “One of highlights is watching them do 4472. Another Virginia nonprofit, Aspire vate Jewish schools. Today, his tutoring graders twice a week in reading and En- kind things for each other.” Afterschool Learning, enlists older adults And Ruden benefits from tutoring to help at after-school tutoring programs. with Fairfax County’s GrandInvolve pro- glish language arts at Fairfax County’s vides far greater rewards, he said. Cameron Elementary School, conduct- them, too. Helping students is “really re- Contact volunteer@aspireafterschool.org “When I go to Dogwood and I see the ing lessons, for example, on prefixes, suf- warding for me. I find I’m learning skills or (703) 379-6488.

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

Health Fitness &

BLACK AND BLUE As aging skin thins, we can bruise more easily. Medications are also a culprit LUNG CANCER STORY A longtime Beacon writer describes her journey from diagnosis to treatment SNIFFLE SEASON Indoor allergies might be causing your congestion. What to do if it lingers THE ROOT CAUSE Thyroid disease, iron deficiency, stress or poor nutrition can cause hair loss

Why we age and what factors can speed it up By Maureen Salamon Worr ying about aging may actually leave its mark on the body. Anxiety about the aging process — especially fears about declining health — may lead to changes in how genes function, contributing to accelerated aging, according to a study involving 726 midlife women published in the February 2026 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology. Women who felt more anxious about getting older tended to show faster epigenetic aging — meaning their bodies looked older at a cellular level, based on how their genes switched on and off. This study and other aging-related research are illuminating how our age is more than just the number of candles on a birthday cake. Chronological age, which dates from when we were born, is one form. But biological age describes how well our body is functioning, and it’s estimated using various measures such as physical fitness, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. As you might guess, genes factor into the latter, accounting for up to 50% of how slowly or quickly we age, said David Sinclair, genetics professor and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School. But that means the other half is up to us. “There’s a big difference between your birthdays and your biological age — and

only the latter can be changed,” Sinclair said. “In the last decade, scientists have discovered that biological aging rates are malleable, and at least half of the rate depends on our lifestyle. The good news is that at least half our future health is in our own hands.”

times are really good, such as too much sitting or too much food,” Sinclair explained. “The other way is to damage your cells. With things like getting sunburned, we think it accelerates the biological aging process because cells cannot cope.”

What causes aging?

Other forces that can more rapidly age us aren’t necessarily top of mind, such as: • more than occasional alcohol use • excess radiation exposure • air pollution and industrial pollutants • shift work, which throws off key biological rhythms But the following aging catalysts might never have been on your radar: Yo-yo dieting. While there’s no direct evidence yet, Sinclair said, research suggests that rapid changes to cells or their environment — as occur in the frequent cycles of weight gain and weight loss known as yo-yo dieting — could accelerate epigenetic changes. “Theoretically, any time there’s a large change to a cell, aging ticks a little faster,” he said. Exposure to bright light or loud music. Both are linked to elevated stress hormones and even cardiovascular strain. “Bright light and loud music are underappreciated as a cause of sensory aging,” Sinclair said. Loneliness and social isolation. Re-

Sinclair’s research has aimed to reveal a universal driver of the aging process. Called the Information Theory of Aging, it boils down to how effectively bodies read their genes and shows, he said, “we are not machines. We are computers, and aging is due to the corruption of software.” Some factors that speed aging — and visible signs of aging — are easy to identify, including: • ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, which damages DNA • chronic stress, which fuels levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone” that ramps up inflammation • poor sleep, which means less repair time for brain and body • smoking, which causes DNA damage • sedentary lifestyle, which leads to muscle loss • obesity “There are two ways to age faster. One is being in ‘abundance mode,’ which is anything that makes your body think

Surprising contributors

search suggests these confer comparable health risks to smoking. Interacting with family and friends is quite important for us. Gut health imbalance. The trillions of microbes that populate the gut, known as the microbiome, influence inflammation levels and immune system function. A healthy diet optimizes the microbiome, while ultra-processed foods can skew the balance between good and bad bacteria. “Inflammation in the body will accelerate aging, especially when it’s chronic,” Sinclair said.

Ways to slow down aging

What helps slow the clock and promote healthy aging? Sinclair said much research supports measures such as: • regular exercise • consistent, high-quality sleep • a plant-forward diet • strong social connections • a positive outlook and sense of purpose “If you compare people who do these things with those who don’t, there’s sometimes a decade of difference in their biological aging,” he said. “Small changes in lifestyle can make a big difference down the road. And it’s never too late to start — though it’s better to start early.” Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. © 2026 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Longevity specialists focus on prevention By David Barzilai, M.D. Q: I’ve been hearing more about doctors who specialize in helping people live longer. What’s involved, and what should I look for? A: A longevity (or healthspan) specialist focuses on preventing age-related dis-

ease and extending healthy years rather than waiting to treat illness once it appears. In practice, that means a strong grounding in lifestyle medicine; close attention to cardiometabolic risks (conditions that contribute to heart and blood vessel dis-

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ease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes) and cognitive risks, long before symptoms appear; and a measured, evidence-based use of newer tools and therapies. Whether you need to see a longevity specialist depends on your situation. Many people are well served by a good primary care doctor who takes prevention seriously, and that is often the most sensible and affordable path. A dedicated specialist adds the most value if you have complex health risks, a strong family history of certain diseases, or you simply want a more proactive, personalized prevention plan. Since the longevity field is largely un-

regulated, it’s important to vet physicians carefully. Look for genuine medical credentials and, ideally, board certification in lifestyle medicine or a relevant specialty. Optimally, longevity specialists will base their approach on proven health fundamentals, regarding supplements and experimental therapies as secondar y. They don’t promise to reverse aging or label therapies as proven when they aren’t. If someone leads with miracle claims and a product line to match, that’s reason to walk away, not to lean in. David Barzilai, M.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © 2026 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Healthy aging is a matter of balance By Kenton Kaufman Dear Mayo Clinic: I’m in my early 60s, and I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, my balance feels “off.” Why is this happening, and is there anything I can do to improve it? A: In many ways, aging is a balancing act. You’re not alone in feeling less steady on your feet or off balance at times. According to research from the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, your ability to balance on one leg can be a reliable measure of how well your nervous system and muscles are working together as you age. Good balance, muscle strength and an efficient gait — how you walk — contribute to independence and well-being. How these factors change, and at what rate, can help clinicians develop programs to ensure healthy aging.

Elements of balance

Balance is complicated. Many body systems — including your muscles, eyes, the balance organs in the inner ears, nerves, heart and blood vessels — must work normally for you to have good balance. All these systems deteriorate with age. Unintentional falls, most often the result of losing your balance, are the leading cause of injuries among adults who are 65

and older. Signs and symptoms of balance problems include: • Sense of motion or spinning (vertigo) • Feeling faint or lightheaded • Loss of balance or unsteadiness • Falling or feeling like you might fall • A floating sensation or dizziness • Vision changes, such as blurriness • Confusion A number of medical conditions can cause balance problems, including: • Vestibular (inner ear) problems may give you the sensation that your head is floating or heavy and may make you feel unsteady in the dark. • Nerve damage to your legs (peripheral neuropathy) can affect your gait. • Vision problems can contribute to dizziness and distorted depth perception. • Neurological issues, including cervical spondylosis and Parkinson’s disease, can make your legs feel stiff or weak and affect your coordination. • Some medications have side effects that include loss of balance or unsteadiness.

Regaining your balance

The good news is it’s never too late to improve your balance — all it takes is practice. If you can stand on one foot, unsup-

Cheers to the sweet taste of excellence

ported, for 30 seconds, your balance is good. If you can’t balance on one foot for five seconds, you’re at risk of falling and should work on your balance. If you have serious balance problems, you may want to check with your doctor before doing balance exercises. Here are some ways to bring balance back into your life: • Work with a physical therapist trained in balance issues. The therapist can design a customized program of balance retraining and exercises. • Take a tai chi, yoga or Pilates class. These are available at many senior, commu-

nity and fitness centers, as well as online. • Practice at home. You won’t need any special equipment, just a table or counter for support if you need it.

Some exercises to try

Here are some home exercises: • Start by standing with your feet close together. Try closing your eyes. • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then shift your weight to the right, lift your left foot off the floor and hold. Repeat on the other side. See BALANCE, page 7

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

How to improve your chances for transplant By Lauran Neergaard It’s not always patience and luck that get patients off the organ transplant waiting list and into the operating room. Unlike in many areas of medicine, experts say there’s a lot of variation in the U.S. transplant system. Knowing there are differences and what to ask might help. “I had to ask a lot of questions to figure out what it was that I could do to move the needle,” said Katherine Screws of Phoenix, who got a rare intestine transplant after she decided to get on the waiting list at more than one hospital to increase her chances. It can be difficult to learn how to navigate that search, but there’s publicly available information about which hospitals perform the most of each type of transplant, plus their waiting times and outcomes. Long used by experts analyzing the transplant system, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, or SRTR, database has new patient-friendly tools developed in the hopes that more would-be transplant recipients will use it. “People are making these really highstakes decisions without understanding the options,” said Dr. Allyson Hart of Minnesota’s Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, who helped design the tools. Here are some things to know.

Different transplant centers have different criteria

There are about 100,000 people on the U.S. transplant list at any given time, the vast majority of whom need a kidney. With just over 49,000 transplants performed in the U.S last year, more people than ever are getting new organs. It’s mostly thanks to more than a decade of increases in donations from the deceased, which are recovered by organ procurement organizations, or OPOs. But more organs are needed to meet the demand, and different transplant hospitals have different criteria for who they’ll accept on their waiting list. Sometimes, “if a patient receives a ‘no’ at one place, they can go somewhere else and be successfully transplanted,” said Dr. Syed Ali Husain, a kidney specialist at NYU Langone Health. Each transplant program’s waiting list is linked to a national automated matching system. OPOs enter information about viable organs into that system, which generates lists of possible matches at multiple hospitals in order of priority. When the OPO offers an organ, the transplant team must quickly decide if it’s a good choice for that patient or the offer moves to the hospital with the next-in-line candidate. Some hospitals are more conservative

than others about which organs they’ll accept, said Husain, who studies such differences. One large study of kidney transplants found “there’s about a 16-fold variation in how quickly a patient will get transplanted at one center versus another,” he said. That’s partly because some surgeons have more experience than others using kidneys with complex anatomy such as extra arteries, or those from older, sicker donors that still may be better than dialysis for the right patient.

How to find data about transplant centers

Typically, a doctor or other health worker points patients to the nearest hospital offering the kind of transplant they need. But the SRTR database allows people to compare transplant centers around the country in multiple ways. Search for a particular organ, and a list of the highest-to-lowest-volume centers pops up, with dials to show how they perform on such measures as getting a transplant faster, survival on the waiting list and the new organ’s survival. Click on those of interest for more data. For certain organs, there’s a “personalized decision guide” to customize the search a little more with demographic and

medical information that compares outcomes for patients similar to you. It may be important to know, for example, if hospitals you’re considering perform transplants for a lot of older adults or people with certain chronic illnesses, Hart said. There’s more data about kidneys, the most-transplanted organ, and a kidney decision aid also allows adding factors such as blood type and diabetes that play a particular role in those transplants. That tool shows the chances of getting a transplant in the first five years after joining the waiting list, or the alternatives — waiting or having died or become too sick to get a transplant.

It’s OK to quiz the transplant team

Like Screws, the Phoenix patient, some people choose to “double list” at a hospital closer to home and another highervolume transplant program further away. While not everyone is able to travel, the search tools can also help inform discussions with your chosen transplant program. It’s OK to contact a transplant program to say, “Hey, there are other centers that do this faster. Help me understand why,” Hart said. “Sometimes that conversation is really enough to prompt more aggressive offer acceptance than that center might otherwise do on their own.” —AP

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NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Farro bowl is a whole-grain version of risotto

Mushroom and Butternut Squash Farro Serves 6 to 8 Ingredients: 3 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth

Balance From page 5

• Try standing on one foot when doing a simple task like brushing your teeth or

1 ½ cups quick-cooking farro 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 leek, cleaned and chopped ½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 cups butternut squash, cut-up and peeled (1 ½-inch pieces) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried) ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons Italian parsley or sage, finely chopped, as garnish Directions: 1. Bring the water or broth to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Add the farro. 2. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender and chewy. Drain any excess liquid if needed, then plump up with a fork. Cover and keep warm. 3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and sauté leek for about 5 minutes or until nicely softened. Add the mushrooms and continue sautéing for 3 waiting for your coffee to brew. • Walk in a line, heel to toe, like you’re on a balance beam. • Change your surface by walking on an open field or sandy beach.

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By Diane Rossen Worthington Higher in protein than pasta or rice, farro is a versatile grain for soups, salads, stews and risotto-style dishes. It is also recommended for diabetics, making it a smart choice if you are watching blood sugar. Available at stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, farro takes only 10 minutes to cook. This recipe is substantial enough for a meal but can also be a happy, colorful side dish to simple entrees. (Sometimes I add defrosted peas for extra color.) Farro is cooked separately, and then the sauteed vegetables are added, along with fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you want to add protein, consider grilled shrimp or chicken slices arranged on top of the finished dish.

more minutes. Add the squash and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add garlic and thyme. Add ¾ cup water, cover and steam until squash is fully cooked, about 5 more minutes. 4. Add the cooked vegetables to the farro and mix carefully. Add Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper; taste for seasoning. 5. Serve in shallow bowls or large ra-

mekins, garnished with parsley. Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including Seriously Simple Parties, and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at seriouslysimple.com. © 2026 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• Stand up from sitting without using your hands or arms. —Kenton Kaufman, Ph.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Physiology and Bioengineering, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

Why does your skin bruise so easily? You look down at your arm and there it is, another purple bruise! You don’t remember bumping into anything. You certainly don’t remember getting into a bar fight. Yet somehow your forearm looks like it has a more exciting social life than you do. Easy bruising becomes more common as we age, but sometimes there’s more to the story. Here are six frequently overlooked causes: DEAR

sels more vulnerable to minor bumps. Sun damage accelerates this process, particularly on the hands and forearms. Apparently, with age, our skin develops a better memory than we do; it remembers every little bump.

2. Vitamin C deficiency

Vitamin C is required to make collagen, which provides structural support to PHARMACIST 1. Aging skin blood vessels. With signifiBy Suzy Cohen As we get older, skin becant deficiency, capillaries comes thinner and loses some of the fatty can become fragile, resulting in easy cushioning that protects tiny blood ves- bruising, purpura or tiny pinpoint spots sels. Collagen also declines, making ves- called petechiae.

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3. Aspirin and NSAIDs

Aspirin interferes with platelet function, making bruising and bleeding more likely. Over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen can also affect platelet function, although differently from aspirin. These are sometimes found in multi-tasking cough/cold products and sleep aids.

4. Blood thinners

Warfarin (Coumadin), apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), dabigatran (Pradaxa) and antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) can make bruises appear more readily. That’s partly what these medications are designed to do, reduce clot formation. Never discontinue one because of bruising without speaking to your prescriber.

5. Corticosteroids

Prednisone and other corticosteroids can reduce collagen production and thin the skin, particularly with prolonged exposure. Doctors prescribe these medications for asthma, allergies, chronic pain and adrenal insufficiency.

6. Supplements

A “natural” supplement doesn’t mean it’s biologically inactive. High supplemen-

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tal doses of vitamin E can affect platelet aggregation and blood clotting, especially when combined with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications like warfarin. Garlic, ginkgo and certain other supplements are also studied for potential effects on platelets or bleeding. Evidence varies considerably, so I don’t put every supplement into one giant “blood thinner” category. Women often bruise more easily than men. Female skin generally has a thinner supportive layer and less collagen, and declining estrogen during menopause further reduces collagen, making skin more fragile and bruising more noticeable. Occasional bruises are harmless. But be careful because new, frequent, unusually large (or spontaneous) bruises shouldn’t be blamed on aging. Pay particular attention if you’re also getting nosebleeds, bleeding gums or blood in your urine or stool. Sometimes the explanation isn’t buried in an exotic laboratory test. It may be sitting right inside your medicine cabinet or supplement bin. Want to know what else may be behind those mystery bruises? Read the longer version at suzycohen.com for more causes, medication and supplement culprits, testing options and practical tips.

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I never thought I would have lung cancer

Immunotherapy has fewer side effects

With SCLS, stray cancer cells can still exist even after chemo and radiation, so I started immunotherapy, a relatively new class of treatments for lung cancer. It involves an infusion every four weeks. With so many infusions, I felt like a pincushion. Nurses told me I was a “hard stick,” and it was difficult to find a good vein. At one appointment, after four punctures, I asked for an expert. Carol in the research infusion department proved to

be the guru: one stick, and that was that. Another difficult part of this disease is that you need to get scans (CT and an MRI) every three months and a PET scan every year. I’m not sure who coined the term “scanxiety,” but it’s real and very common. It’s hard to control your emotions before and after a scan while you wait for the results.

Advice for patients

If you are diagnosed with any kind of cancer, don’t be afraid to speak up. Ask about treatment options and clinical trials and get second opinions as you move along. Follow up when the team doesn’t get back to you quickly enough. Stay on top of scheduling; there is a lot of it. And recruit someone to help you and be with you at every appointment, be it a family member or close friend. If you’re

alone, ask your doctor if you can record the appointment so you don’t forget the details. After you ring the bell signaling the end of your initial treatments, you realize your cancer journey isn’t over. The appointments don’t end, and every time you have any pain, there is a constant worry the cancer could be back. You also realize you aren’t who you were before the cancer. There are times when you feel perfectly normal, find joy in each day, and maybe even make plans to travel. I try to walk, exercise and even play golf. But then there are other times when you look in the mirror, and the image doesn’t look like you. You worry more, worr y that something suspicious will show up on your next scan, worry that you don’t have a future. One organization we found, LUNGevity. org, has been a huge help. It provides free

education and support, builds community and hope, and raises funds for research to advance better detection and treatment. This November, the LUNGgevity Foundation will place white flags on the National Mall in front of the Capitol, representing the roughly 120,000 lives lost to the disease each year. I’ve learned a lot from their regular webinars featuring experts discussing new drug developments and other treatments. Also, they have support groups on Zoom and Facebook where you can connect with others who have the same disease. Even if you have a top physician, it helps to hear other patients’ experiences with different treatments and get some tips for mitigating side effects. Most importantly, it gives hope for the future. Alice Shapin is a longtime travel writer for the Beacon.

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By Alice Shapin Like so many who get the devastating diagnosis of lung cancer, I never thought it would happen to me. After all, I never smoked, never lived with a smoker, always exercised, maintained a steady, healthy weight and ate reasonably well. I thought I was exempt. But as it turns out, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and one in five people diagnosed with it never smoked. As November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to tell my story. As with many people, my lung cancer was found by chance. During my annual physical last fall, I told my doctor I had been told by urgent care that I had pneumonia, which turned out to be false. However, after looking at an x-ray from the year before, when I did have pneumonia, my doctor noticed the spot was in the same location. She sent me for a CT scan, and then to a pulmonologist, who scheduled a biopsy. Neither my doctors nor I were thinking lung cancer. But a week later, the results were in, and I was immediately given an appointment with an oncologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. There, Dr. Stephen Liu gave me the bad news: Not only was it lung cancer, but the worst kind, small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Only 15% of patients have this aggressive form, and they’re usually smokers. I was hysterical when I got home, and while I usually tell others to get a second opinion, there was little time. I quickly researched my doctor, who is a leading expert in the field, and started treatment immediately. I had 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Fortunately, unlike years ago, patients are given anti-nausea drugs, which actually work. Hair loss is a given. After that, I had 36 rounds of radiation. Treatment was a long, long ordeal. My husband, Paul, has been my rock, accompanying me to appointments and constantly researching the disease and possible new treatments. When Thanksgiving came, we had to stay home, since I was immunocompromised. And when the flu became rampant, we isolated like we had during the pandemic. Still, family and friends called daily. And when I finally reappeared in the world, my three adorable little grandchildren were the best medicine.

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

How to relieve stuffy nose, allergies By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: My nose is persistently stopped up. It’s worse during the spring, but I have the problem all year long. What’s causing it, and what can help? A: A persistently congested nose is very common. Just look at the variety of products in the “Cold and Allergy” section of your local pharmacy. You can get some sense of just how many people suffer with this problem from time to time. Some of the most common causes of nasal congestion include: • year-round allergies • persistent sinus infections • blockage of the nasal passages due to a deviated nasal septum (the bone that makes the bridge of the nose), polyps or nar-

rowing of the holes that drain the sinuses • overuse of certain medications such as nasal decongestant sprays, such as Afrin and many others • side effects from a prescription drug, such as beta blockers, birth control pills and hormone therapy for menopause Sometimes there is more than one cause for a congested nose. For example, a sinus infection can make the symptoms of allergies worse.

Indoor allergies

Even in the winter, your nasal congestion still could be caused by allergies. Many sources of year-round, indoor allergies, such as dust mites or cat hair, may actually get worse when the windows are

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closed and the heat is on. How can you ease your symptoms? Here’s a good place to start: Limit your exposure to household allergy sources by keeping pets out of your bedroom, covering pillows and mattresses with hypoallergenic bags and removing heavy rugs and curtains. Consider buying a vacuum with a special allergen filter (and have someone else do the vacuuming). Tr y an over-the-counter antihistamine. There are many to choose from. The second generation antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin) and fexofenadine (Allegra) cause less sleepiness. Or at night you might try cetirizine (Zyrtec) or levocetirizine (Xyzal). Generic versions work just as well. Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) may be used temporarily to relieve congestion. If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, check with your doctor first. If you are using a nasal decongestant spray regularly, it can be the main reason for your symptoms. You will need to ease yourself off of it. Try alternating nostrils for several days before stopping entirely. Symptoms may get worse at first, but should improve within one to two weeks. If none of these remedies seem to help, see your doctor for a more complete evaluation. He or she may suggest allergy skin testing or a fiberoptic exam of the nasal passages — these may sometimes find your problem. But often all that is needed is a trial of medicine. Allergies that don’t improve with overthe-counter medicine may improve with prescription pills or nasal sprays. Rarely, individuals with severely blocked nasal passages may benefit from surgery. Q: For the second time, I developed prolonged coughing and wheezing after a cold. My doctor called it reactive air ways. Does that mean I

have asthma? If so, what can I do to minimize symptoms? A: Just because one has wheezing and a cough doesn’t mean they have asthma. Reactive airways means that your bronchial tubes have become more sensitive. They are inflamed, causing them to constrict and produce more mucus. If it is temporary, such as after a bad cold, then your airways are reactive, but you may not have asthma. To determine if you have developed asthma, ask your doctor about getting formal lung testing. If you have asthma, there are excellent ways to prevent symptoms. The most important is to avoid exposure to common allergy triggers, which include: Pollen: Keep windows closed when you sleep at night. Do not dry laundry outside, as pollen can collect on your clothes. Change your clothes after you have been outside for an extended time. Consider an evening shower with a thorough hair rinse before going to bed. Dust mites: Encase pillows, mattresses and box springs in allergen-proof materials. Wash your sheets at least once a week in hot water. Cockroaches: Don’t leave food out overnight, and keep food stored in sealed containers. Empty your garbage each evening. Quickly repair leaky pipes, as standing water can attract roaches. Can you prevent asthma, or allergies in general, from starting? Some actions might help, but there is no sure way to prevent allergies. Much of the risk relates to family history and genetics. Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, see health.harvard.edu. © 2026 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Why women lose hair and how to save it Dear Savvy Senior, cases, shedding often begins a few I’m a 68-year-old woman, and over months later and may improve on its own. the past few years my hair Other possible causes inhas become noticeably clude thyroid disorders, iron thinner, especially on top. deficiency, poor nutrition, autoIs this just part of aging, or immune conditions and scalp could it be a sign of a disorders. health problem? And are Medications can also play there treatments that rea role. Drugs such as blood ally help women with hair thinners, antidepressants, loss? beta blockers, cholesterol —Thinning Thelma medications, thyroid treatDear Thelma, ments, arthritis drugs and Hair thinning is a common SAVVY SENIOR some hormone therapies concern for women as they By Jim Miller have all been linked to hair age, especially after menoloss in some people. (If you pause, but it’s not something you should suspect a medication may be involved, automatically dismiss. While some hair don’t discontinue it on your own; ask your loss is a normal part of aging, it can also doctor about alternatives.) be linked to underlying health conditions, medications, nutritional deficiencies, Get checked stress or other treatable issues. Because there are so many possible The good news is that in many cases, causes, the first step is getting a proper the cause can be identified and some- evaluation. See your doctor or a dermatimes successfully treated. tologist if you notice sudden shedding, rapid thinning, bald patches, scalp itching Aging changes or pain. They may review your medicaThinning hair in older women is known tions, examine your scalp and order simas female pattern hair loss, also called an- ple blood tests to check for problems such drogenetic alopecia. It usually appears as as thyroid imbalance or iron deficiency. gradual thinning on the top of the scalp or a widening part, rather than bald What helps patches. Treatment depends on the cause. If an After menopause, declining estrogen lev- underlying condition such as thyroid disels can affect the hair-growth cycle, caus- ease, iron deficiency, medication side efing strands to become finer, grow more fects or poor nutrition is identified, treatslowly and shed more easily over time. ing it may help restore hair growth. For older women with age-related fePossible causes male pattern hair loss, the treatment with But hormones and aging aren’t the only the best evidence is topical minoxidil explanations. Hair loss can also follow a (Rogaine), available over the counter. It major illness, surgery, Covid infection or can help slow thinning and stimulate a period of significant stress. In these some regrowth, but results take several

months and continued use is needed to maintain any benefit. An increasing number of women take low-dose oral minoxidil, which is an offlabel treatment and requires medical supervision because of possible side effects. Dermatologists can prescribe daily minoxidil for hair growth. Be cautious with hair-growth supplements. Unless you have a true deficiency, products such as biotin usually provide little benefit and can interfere with certain lab tests, including thyroid and some heart tests. Gentle hair care and cosmetic options can also help. Avoid harsh chemical treatments, tight hairstyles that pull on the hair and excessive heat from blow dryers or styling tools.

A fuller or shorter haircut, thickening styling products, hair-building fibers that reduce the appearance of thinning spots, or lightweight hairpieces and wigs can also improve appearance and confidence. Hair thinning in older women is common, but it isn’t always just a normal part of aging. Because it can sometimes signal an underlying medical issue, it’s worth getting checked, especially if it comes on suddenly or worsens quickly. While not every type of hair loss can be reversed, treatment and practical strategies can often slow it down and help you feel better about how your hair looks. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

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IMAGE BY BERNIE/PIXABAY

Money Law &

If you ever see a message like this, it’s a scam. See article on opposite page.

When the check is not in the mail anymore By Anthony Cantor The mailbox flag goes up — a small red signal on a quiet suburban street. Martha, let’s call her, doesn’t think twice. She’s mailed checks this way for 40 years. It’s safe. It’s familiar. But as she walks back inside, a car slows in front of her house. Not enough to draw attention — just enough to watch. Minutes later, the mailbox is empty. Soon after, a thief dips her check into a chemical bath, watching the ink dissolve like it was never there. He rewrites the amount. He changes the name. He cashes it before the sun sets. Days later, Martha receives a strange call from her bank. She’d never even heard of a “bank investigator,” but he asks, “Ma’am, did you authorize a check for $4,800?” Her heart drops. It doesn’t take long to

figure out that the check she’d written for $68 — the one she’d mailed just days earlier to her electric company — had been cashed for nearly $5,000. The payee’s name was different. The handwriting wasn’t hers.

‘Washed’ checks

The bank investigator explained what had happened: A thief had washed the check — soaked it in chemicals to erase the ink, rewrote a new name and amount, then cashed it immediately. Standard operating procedure for check thieves. Every year, postal inspectors recover over $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders. The checkwashing thieves are getting bolder, faster and harder to catch. But Martha wasn’t powerless. She reported the fraud. She switched to safer

payment methods, like encrypted payments, online. Those new habits will keep her one step ahead of the next thief.

Lessons learned

1. Mailboxes are a prime target for thieves. Criminals steal outgoing mail to capture checks before they reach their destination. 2. Check washing is fast, simple and hard to detect. Thieves use chemical solvents to erase ink and rewrite checks for large amounts. 3. Fake checks can be printed on scanners and copiers. Scammers sometimes create counterfeit copies of your checks to cash repeatedly. 4. Never leave mail out overnight. Retrieve mail frequently and deposit as

close to outgoing mail pickups as possible. 5. Use safer payment methods. Using online payments or secure dropoff locations lowers exposure to checkwashing scams. Call your bank or ask a family member or tech specialist to help you set up online payments. Martha’s mistake was simply believing that the world still worked the way it used to. But she took action — she learned and adapted. Remember that checks can be stolen. Ink can be washed. Amounts can be changed. But awareness — that’s something no thief can erase. Anthony Cantor is the executive director of Malfeasance Awareness for Retirees Capital (MARC4U), a Virginia-based nonprofit whose mission is to protect older adults from fraud through courses, presentations and podcasts. See marc4u.org.

Remember to establish a power of attorney One of the most important components establishes the financial advocate. The of estate planning is establishing a power person who signs the POA is known as of attorney. When a healthy inthe principal. The person dividual suddenly becomes inwho is empowered to act on capacitated, leaving them unthe principal’s behalf under able to make decisions, it is the POA is the agent. critical to have a financial adThe agent takes action vocate assigned to look out for when the principal is not able their interest. to, such as making sure that When a financial advocate, bills are paid and investnamely an individual with a ments are managed properly, power of attorney, is not asalong with other tasks. signed, the result can be situFor assets held in a revoSAVINGS GAME ations in which the court is recable living trust, or other By Elliot Raphaelson quired to appoint a guardian, trusts, a financial advocate is which can be costly and still needed. Instead of an time-consuming, and many times it agent there is a trustee or successor results in considerable legal expenses. trustee. Even when most assets are held Unfortunately, I have witnessed prob- in a trust, there is still a requirement for lems in my family and in the families of a POA to cover any other assets not held friends because an individual failed to ap- in the trust. point a power of attorney, amassing legal When no POA is assigned, the conseexpenses that could have been avoided. quences can be bills not being paid on In a recent article in Bob Carlson’s time, financial abuse or theft. Retirement Watch newsletter, he pointed out some impor tant guidelines for Who to choose selecting an individual with power of atIt is important to choose a POA with torney responsibility. care. Unfortunately, there are too many cases in which an individual is chosen caTerms to know sually and lacks the necessary skills. For The financial power of attorney (POA) example, many times a parent will choose

their oldest child without carefully considering whether that person has the skills required for the necessary tasks. The selection of the POA should be based on whether the individual is intelligent, honest and has the financial capability to do the job. The person may be required to do the job for many months or years, and must have the time for that. Of course, an individual who has considerable wealth or complicated assets should consider appointing a professional for the POA as opposed to a relative without the required skill set. The principal should also consider naming more than one agent, especially when the principal has significant net worth or complicated assets. Multiple agents can act as checks and balances against each other. They can be assigned different responsibilities based on their background and areas of expertise. Although the principal gives the agent the authority to act, no one is required to recognize the POA. To minimize the risk of fraud and abuse, financial firms often set their own standards for recognizing POAs. In some cases, the selection of a POA must be certified as a bank officer in the state of residency, or be on the financial firm’s standard form.

You can avoid potential problems by working with a financial firm during the planning process. Ask the firm what their standards are for POAs and comply with them to avoid surprises.

Gifts and the IRS

Many states say that there is no implied right to make gifts under a general POA. That caused the IRS to rule that gifts made under a POA without gifting authority are not gifts for tax purposes. For the agent to make tax-planning gifts, the POA should clearly authorize gifts. Some POAs prohibit gifts to the agents to avoid self-dealing. Some POAs state that when gifts are made, the agent must make gifts of equal amounts to all family members. Bottom line: A principal should touch base with their financial institution before finalizing POA responsibilities if there are assets associated with their financial institution. If the principal is allowing the POA to handle gifts, they should discuss this issue with a knowledgeable attorney to avoid potential problems with the IRS related to gifts. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Makes a great gift! | Law & Money

NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Don’t fall for these five types of email scams By Marshall Presser A few months ago, I received an email from Geek Squad about a renewal of a membership there that I never purchased. It listed a number to call a customer support team. Many people who receive an email informing them that they have spent $500 on a three-year membership they never signed up for would call that number. I knew better. First, I took a closer look at the sender’s email address. It didn’t appear to be from Geek Squad at all; it was from a Gmail address. Next, I checked with my credit card company. To my relief, there was no $500 charge from Geek Squad. The email was a scam. What would have happened had I called the number? Some scammers coerce people into granting them access to their computer. Once they’re in, they can steal your passwords, bank information — anything and everything.

Photo scams: If you receive an email about photos with a link, it’s almost always a scam. Posing as a friend, the sender usually uses stilted language. But something like “I thought you might like to take a look at them, so here are some photographs,” doesn’t sound like something a friend would say. Take a closer look at the link. If you see .vn (Vietnam), .io (used by tech firms) or .info, it’s probably a scam. If you’re not sure, you can give your friend a call and ask. Imposter scams: These usually purport to be someone from the IRS or Social Security. They will call your house and pressure you to pay an amount, usually with a gift card. But the IRS will never initiate contact with a phone call; the agency communicates in writing only. Phishing scams: What is phishing?

Phishing is a type of scheme scammers use to trick people into sharing private data like passwords, bank account numbers or identification codes. They do this through texts, emails or phone calls. Remember, never give out this private information. Do not click on any of their links or attachments, which can download a virus on your computer. Your computer is infected: Sometimes a window will pop up on your computer with a dire warning: Your computer is infected! These are always scams. Don’t click the link. Don’t call the number. Just click on the x in the corner of the window to exit the pop-up box. And then, in your computer’s settings, disable pop-up boxes.

Free help evaluating scams

AARP Fraud Watch is a free public ser-

vice that helps people spot and report scams. It’s not just available to members; the general public can use the website and toll-free number. If you suspect a scam and need help evaluating it, call (877) 908-3360 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Another way to check out scams is the website scamwise.com. You can copy and paste the email or image into the website and get an answer quickly. We can help each other. If you see a scam or if you’re scammed, report it. You can and should report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc. gov. You can also report them to the Better Business Bureau. Marshall Presser will give presentations about scams at The Grandview and Chevy Chase at Home this fall. Contact him at dont.be.a.scam.victim@gmail.com.

Best practices

• Check the origin of any email, text or phone call you receive. • To verify legitimacy, call the established support number, not the one provided in the email. • Use the internet to look up the number that called or texted you and include “scam” in the search. • Never grant access to your computer, phone or tablet to someone on the phone, even if they say they are a customer service representative. • Never keep your passwords in a file on your computer, phone or tablet.

Other types of scams

Though each scam varies, what all scams have in common is the pressure to pay now — or else. Here are some common ones:

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Nov. 18

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

PHOTO BY ED WARNER

Travel Leisure &

Tourists can cool off in the natural pools in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca. See story on opposite page.

Icy Greenland lies at the edge of infinity over town. Wilderness and extraordinary natural landscapes are only a few minutes away by boat. Tourism to Greenland is on the rise, due in large part to climate change as tourists, especially Europeans, seek cooler destinations for summer vacations to escape the increasingly oppressive summer heat. Americans are also showing more interest in the region. The threats to make Greenland, the world’s largest island, the 51st state has put this self-governing territory of Denmark on many Americans’ travel radar. Plus, the recent opening of the Nuuk airport to international jet traffic and the ongoing expansion of other international airports have increased access to Greenland and its massive ice sheet, majestic fjords and Arctic wildlife, including whales, musk oxen, foxes and reindeer.

Cinematic helicopter ride

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

My introduction to this icy wonderland was via a helicopter ride up one of the four major fjords in the Nuuk fjord system, the second-largest in the world after East Greenland. It was overcast, throwing a fittingly surreal pall over the other worldly landscape. Watching the dramatically desolate scene slip by below, with only an occasional sign of human habitation, I felt like I was in a Ridley Scott sci-fi movie. The pilot flew us to the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, the largest ice mass in the Nor thern Hemisphere. It covers around 80 percent of the Greenland landmass, more than a mile thick on average. We landed less than 100 yards from the edge of the sheet. I scrambled over some rocks to an overlook about 30 yards away. From Greenland is one of the top destinations for tourists who there, I could make out fine cracks and crevices in the want to see the northern lights. The peak months are November through March. jagged face of the glacier,

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

By Don Mankin Our boat drifted among the icebergs and sea ice that filled the fjord all the way to the distant mountains. The chunks of ice, large and small, sometimes took on vaguely familiar shapes — a whippedcream-topped dessert, a warship from another era, a house designed by a mad architect. After slowly working our way through the ice field, the captain shut off the engine. For several minutes, no one spoke as we gazed at the sparkling glacial landscape, immersed in a deep, profound silence. I was on the third day of a tour in and around the city of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, the land of ice and snow. Nuuk, sometimes called “Nuuk York,” an ironic reference to its barely urban status, is unlike any other capital city I have ever visited. It is home to about 20,000 people, roughly one-third of Greenland’s population. Mountains, fjords and the occasional iceberg are visible from pretty much all

Greenland’s fjords are filled with sea ice in whimsical shapes, such as this “house designed by a mad architect.” The country has seen a boost in tourism in the past year.

as well as gaze over its surface stretching to what seemed like infinity. Aside from the subdued Aeolian sound of the wind, occasional sudden claps from cracking ice and a few exclamations of wonder from my travel companions, I was once again wrapped in silence.

Boat tours in the fjords

Two boat trips took us up two of the other fjords in the Nuuk fjord system. Both fjords are lined by peaks, some of them 4,000 feet high, that soar out of the water — some jagged, others worn down and rounded by millennia of wind, rain and ice. Add in the icebergs, and it rivals the stark beauty of Antarctica. In the two days of boat trips, I took more photos than at any other place I’ve ever been, after Antarctica. The fjord system isn’t devoid of organic life. There are reindeer, a major protein source for locals who hunt them, plus musk oxen, small birds and the rare, wayward polar bear. We also passed an abandoned settlement, about 600 summer homes for the locals, several glamping sites for tourists and, of all things, an excellent Thai restaurant, Qooqqut Nuan, the only restaurant in the fjord. We ate at that restaurant near the end of our first boat trip after stopping to fish

in the fjord. We took our catch of several large cod and redfish to the restaurant, located about a couple of hundred feet up the slope from the water. We watched as the chef cleaned and filleted our fish, then ate the results while gazing at the spectacular views from the dining room. It was some of the best Thai food I’ve had outside of Bangkok. The next day we ventured by boat into the aptly nicknamed Nuuk Icy Fjord, filled with dozens of large chunks of ice that looked like they had been sculpted by a mad surrealist with an infinite imagination. The sun blasted off the water, sea ice and sculptures. I realized what makes places like this so captivatingly beautiful and compelling is the irregularity of ice and rock. The shapes are completely unlike the environments we live in. Our built environment is mostly straight lines, right angles and smooth curves. The shape of ice, rock and mountains is anything but. Like snowflakes, every shape is different — surprising, unfamiliar, unpredictable, random and novel. That is why we travel, to see and experience something we can’t see at home. This place is as different as it gets.

See GREENLAND, page 15

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NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Mexico’s natural wonders surround Oaxaca By Ed Warner On my last trip to Mexico, I floated in a freshwater pool, blue sky above and nothing but wild desert landscape for miles. A rock formation in Oaxaca state draws people from all over the world to its natural infinity pools high atop a cliff. While thousands visit Oaxaca annually, nearly all stay in the city due to its Michelin-star restaurants and world-class museums — and miss the pools entirely. Just outside of Oaxaca, however, there are numerous sites for travelers ready to go farther afield. Small tours and city buses make these day trips easy. One of the easiest spots is just 20 minutes from Oaxaca: the town of Santa María del Tule. Its claim to fame is a huge cypress tree, the widest in the world, that is thousands of years old. Supposedly 45 people could join hands around the tree, located in the town center next to a historic white church. Here, local children act as guides, pointing out deformations in the ancient bark where they see fantastical images. Being a child guide here is a local honor, requiring students to maintain high grades in school. About a half-hour cab ride north of Oaxaca is the town of Santa María Atzompa, where an artisans’ market specializes in green-glazed ceramics. Near the market are the little-visited ruins of a pre-Columbian village, once an outpost of Monte Albán, the major pre-Columbian ruins just outside Oaxaca. On a recent visit, the Atzompa site had neither an entry charge nor other visitors. Uncrowded, my wife and I explored the

ruins to the sound of the dry wind blowing through the foundations of the ancient homes. Also north of Oaxaca by about a half hour is San Agustín Etla, where we discovered local crafts and got a rare chance to swim in largely dry Oaxaca state. We saw two manmade pools at the Balneario Vista Hermosa estate: a smallish heated one and an unheated one that’s almost Olympic-sized. There’s also a café and plenty of open space for picnics. In the downtown area, a magnificent white cathedral stands beside the huge former textile factor y, where weavers work and sell on weekends. Its plaza-like balcony looks out over a valley that encompasses Oaxaca and beyond. Both Santa María Atzompa and San Agustín Etla can be reached inexpensively by using the local “collectivos,” cabs that act as jitney buses and cost as little as $2 for the half-hour ride from Oaxaca.

Greenland

enough to observe the greenish swirls of the aurora borealis. On one of those nights, I was at the harbor near the boardwalk where, surprisingly, I had the shimmering display all to myself. Once again, the silence of the far north enveloped me. I may have come to Greenland for the glaciers and icebergs — and I saw plenty of them — but what I really found was peace and quiet.

From page 14

Capital city’s museums

In the city of Nuuk itself, I visited the Greenland National Museum, which contains several excellent exhibits covering archeology, history, art and handicrafts of Greenland. I also visited the Nuuk Art Museum for an innovative program of performances by mostly indigenous artists, featuring song, dance and storytelling. The program would not be out of place in avantgarde museums and performance spaces in New York, Los Angeles and Berlin. My favorite attraction in Nuuk was the boardwalk, a scenic half-mile long waterfront promenade with stairs and viewing platforms that wrap around the southwest corner of the city, past the brightly colored houses of the old town. I paused often to take in beautiful views of the fjord and fishing boats, a few stray icebergs and dozens of sea birds soaring and squawking overhead. Most of the time, it was just me, the birds and the bergs. And of course, there were the northern lights. On two nights, I stayed awake long

Private tours

For those shy about taking the bus, another option is an organized tour. Viator, Withlocals and other companies are a good way to find private tours. We used Airbnb Experiences, in which local entrepreneurs lead small-group adventures, for a guided bike ride to Tule. The three-hour tour, which included multi-speed mountain bikes and helmets, took us on a snaking route through Oaxaca to the start of the six-kilometer paved trail, a former trolley line. The ride ended at the Tule tree, with lunch in the market. We turned to Airbnb Experiences again

If you go

Fly to Greenland via Reykjavík on Icelandair and Air Greenland. The only direct flights are from New York on United, twice a week in the summer. Either way will cost from $1,700 to $2,000 round-trip. Hotel Nordbo, a three-star hotel, costs about $220 per night; Hotel Hans Egede, a four-star hotel, is $350; and Inuk Hostel, with a shared bath, is about $170. The helicopter and other excursions can be booked through Arctic Excursions (arcticexcursions.com). Boat trips can be booked with Nuuk Water Taxi (nuukwatertaxi.gl) and Greenland Cruises (greenlandcruises.gl). Don Mankin was hosted on this trip by Visit Greenland. For more information, see visitgreenland.com.

to find a good hike. Our guide, a young woman, met us at a local restaurant, and we took a cab with her to a trailhead on the outskirts of Oaxaca. There, we headed off onto a trail system where I’m sure even animals regularly get lost. (Hiking trails in Mexico often lack blazes on trees, perhaps because locals cut them down for fuel.) After no more than four or five miles, our winding route took us to the top of a steep ridge with a view of the city of Oaxaca and its countryside. As we walked, our guide noted the names of the plants and birds. Or at least she tried: The birds fled so quickly she identified them as the ya se fue species, “already gone.” Since our guide was from France, our snack time consisted of fresh, homemade

crepes, which she unwrapped from towels in her pack and served with honey and lime. While usually adverse to group tours, we signed up for a daylong one near the end of our stay. Traveling with six others in a minibus with a guide, we stopped first at the village of Santa Ana del Valle to see artists weave, then the cathedral and ruins in the town of Mitla. But the highlight, of course, was the two hours of soaking and swimming at Hierve el Agua. Minerals in the chilly water give it a greenish hue, promote buoyancy and, as water falls from the ridge, harden to create a white “waterfall,” seen from below. Round-trip flights to Oaxaca, Mexico, start at $737 on United. See visitmexico.com.

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Style

Arts &

Check out Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new book and another review on page 21.

Arena Stage’s play spotlights McCarthy era

Moving performances

One of the most poignant witnesses in the play is Larry Parks (Aaron Bliden), who joined the Communist Party as a young idealist yet left it long before being called before the Committee. Thinking of his children and lost career, Parks delivers testimony that’s too nuanced for the Committee’s bluntly leading questions. Bilden’s facial expressions are equally nuanced and clearly reflect his turmoil as he repeatedly begs the Committee not to press him to name names. After squashing Parks, the Committee Chairman (John Leslie Wolfe) is magnanimous in victory, blustering that, “If it’s any comfort,” the names given were already on the Committee’s list. Parks responds that it is no comfort. The set is spare and nearly claustrophobic as one witness after another takes a seat at a table in the gray, wainscoted Congressional hearing room (Set Designer Andrew Boyce). The witnesses are pummeled by the flash and pop of lightbulbs of the media or ominously shadowed by lights filtered through blinds (Associate Lighting Designer Catherine Cusick and Sound Designers Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen). At times, additional information about a witness appears as it is “typed” loudly on the backdrop, and shifting newspaper headlines are projected behind the actors

PHOTO BY TERESA CASTRACANE PHOTOGRAPHY

By Lynda Lantz During volatile times, going to the theater can feel like attending a pep rally for democracy. Theaters seem to choose ever y production to reflect on current events. This is certainly true of Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? at Arena Stage through December 6. The docudrama by immigrant playwright Eric Bentley directly quotes the heroism, struggle and treachery from the transcripts of subpoenaed Hollywood witnesses as they tangled with Congressmen at hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Tony Award-winning director Anna D. Shapiro, fresh from her off-Broadway revival of the play, brings this thoughtprovoking production to Washington, D.C., where the hearings took place.

Based on actual transcripts, Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? features Greg Stuhr, Peter Jacobson, Stephen Cefalu Jr., Aaron Bliden, Edward L. Simon, Jason Babinsky, John Leslie Wolfe and Philip Earl Johnson. The play runs through Dec. 6.

(Associate Projection Designer Nitsan Scharf). The effect can be a little busy. The lights dim for young choreographer and dancer Jerome Robbins (played by Stephen Cefalu Jr.). His lean calm might be belied by his impatient smoking, but Robbins claims he believes it is right to name names. When the admiring and paternal Committee Chair urges Robbins to use his “God-given” talent to showcase American values through his ballets, however, the cold, disparaging look that Cefalu shoots him is unforgettable. Robbins declares that his ballets are already always acclaimed for their American values. The Committee Chair urges, “Do it more.” He doesn’t seem to notice the tension in the room. A few famous characters — Lillian Hellman (Rivka Borek), Lionel Stander (Jeff Still), Abe Burrows and Paul Robeson are played by strong actors, and many of their excellent performances drew audience applause. Several lesser-known witnesses are portrayed by Man 1 (Edward L. Simon), Man 2 (Greg Stuhr) and Man 3 (Cefalu). The actors differentiated characters with mannerisms, accents and a hat. But their impeccable suits, many in shades of brown, (Associate Costume Designer Ben-

jamin Burton) may underscore an interchangeability that the Committee imposed — or tried to impose — as it broke the witnesses down without caring about personal consequences. Committee members are also anonymous. Committeeman 1 (Philip Earl Johnson) and Committeeman 2 (Jason Babinsky) are, in turns, impatient, perplexed and threatening, as they self-righteously violate the rights of the American people in the name of the American people. Yet they are no match for director and composer Abe Burrows (Peter Jacobson), who was best known for co-writing Guys and Dolls. He unleashes a sly vaudevillian humor as his superpower and, as he mugs for the cameras and us, the audience appreciates the lightened mood. Burrows offers droll obser vations and vague, twisted answers to tiptoe along the line between truth and lie, which confounds the Committee.

Paul Robeson’s testimony

As steadfast and upright as Hellman and Stander are as part of the Hollywood Ten, the final witness is the production’s moral and dramatic highpoint. With a regal voice matched by keen observations and informed fury, Paul Robe-

son (played by a mesmerizing Kevin Mambo), turns the tables on the Committee. He sees straight through their self-righteousness, noting at least one member’s dubious background as a white supremacist. They still wield power. The Committee did withhold Robeson’s passport and stymie his career, but they must have felt his moral and intellectual superiority. We certainly do. This strongly acted play resonates for many reasons. The witnesses who are broken by the Committee’s threats to reveal their secrets or ruin their careers are moving, while those who put their consciences first are inspiring. Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, located at 1101 6th St. SW, Washington, D.C., is a few blocks from the Waterfront Metro Station. The concierge desk can connect attendees to Lyft or taxis, and the center has its own onsite parking garage. The show, at 1 hour and 45 minutes without an intermission, moves quickly. Although no senior discounts exist, discounted tickets are available in person two hours before curtain for most performances. In addition, veterans, educators and first responders get 20% off. For tickets, see tickets.arenastage.org/events.

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

Save on hotels with a home exchange actually safer when occupied while we’re away. We know our guests value their reputation for honesty as much as we do. We don’t leave cash lying around, of course, but neither do we hide our cameras or computers. As for cleanliness, we leave our homes sparkling and always find our hosts have done the same.

Some downsides

That’s not to say home-trading is without challenges. For one, the typical stay is a week, so it’s not a good option for a quick road trip. (However, we recently hosted an Italian family who made our house the last stop on their road trip.) Another limitation is that, unlike hotel reservations, you must plan trades months in advance and, once set, they’re hard to cancel. Once, however, we let a Montreal couple bail on the trade we’d planned with them months before (an anti-Canadian president had been elected in the States, and they didn’t want to travel here.) To be a home-trader, one needs to join an online organization. We’re longtime members of homeexchange.com, which claims to be the largest service, with more than 600,000 properties worldwide. Other services are homelink.org and livekindred.com. Members of Home Exchange pay $235 annually and get 500 “guest points” when

joining, plus insurance against theft or damage during a guest’s stay. Each of these services offers a catalog of properties with pictures and descriptions of each, alongside each owners’ number of trades and their starred ratings from other guests. One can join a home-trading service and then wait to hear a request to swap, but it’s better to be proactive if you want a trade in a specific locale. This means searching listings, finding homes or apartments in the location where you’re headed, and emailing the owners suggesting a trade. These emails should extol the perks of your home and the events in your area at the time when you’d like to swap. We’ve regularly pointed to area happenings in Washington, D.C., such as the Cherry Blossom Festival. While home-trading was once limited to strictly simultaneous swaps, Home Exchange’s “guest points” concept is popular with vacation-home owners. They can set a rate for their property in points and accumulate points through trades, just as if they were gaining cash. They can then “spend” the points later; for instance, using points gained from a summer home to stay at a winter resort. That’s if they can find a resort to take points during its “high season,” when cash

is king. We’ve accumulated points with summertime trades of our home (we were out of town anyway) but found few takers when shopping for winter stays in Cancun.

Hosting tips

After joining a ser vice like homeexchange.com, hopeful traders create a listing and write a “home manual” to apprise guests of essentials like their Wi-Fi password, how the TV operates, and what visitors can and cannot do. For instance, you might welcome them to eat whatever’s in the fridge but not the freezer, and also ask if they could pick up the mail or water the plants. Some swappers even ask for pet-sitting. Once, we swapped with a Pittsburgh woman who needed coverage for two cats and didn’t even want to stay in our house while we were away. We were delighted — until one kitty escaped and had us combing the neighborhood for hours. (We found her.) Often, swappers will place the instruction manual in, say, a gift basket with a bottle of wine or some chocolates, something to greet guests on arrival. Lastly, it’s good to get a realtor-type lockbox to hold your house key. Just hang it on your doorknob and then head off for a wonderful stay in someone else’s muchloved home.

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By Ed Warner When you travel, wouldn’t it be great to skip the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a hotel costs and instead stay in a home, where you can entertain friends, maybe even cook a meal or bake a cake? That dream exists, and it’s not Airbnb: It’s called home-trading. My wife and I have been doing home trades for almost 20 years and have completed nearly 50. We’ve stayed on Cape Cod, in charming neighborhoods in Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco, and in a condo on the French Riviera. Along the way, we’ve met wonderful, like-minded couples — and sometimes their neighbors, since home-trading situates you in a community, not a commercial strip. In at least one case, my wife and I became good friends with a trade partner, a couple with a condo in Manhattan. The fact that we’ve swapped our smallish Columbia home four times with them proves that you need not own an urban penthouse or Aspen A-frame to trade. In our case, having a pool did help, since the Manhattanites have three grandchildren in Ellicott City. For all the benefits of home-sharing, though, our friends have sometimes expressed skepticism, worrying about theft or that they’d encounter a dirty place. On the contrary, we feel our house is

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NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Arthritis takes some time to get used to When his four-year-old granddaughter If Arthur afflicts knees or hips, replaceasks to be lifted for a hug, this Grandpa ment might be recommended. But for Ardoesn’t hesitate. thur of the fingers, the only thing that Then he replaces her on docs recommend is topical Planet Earth with a small pain relievers. thud. I’ve tried them. They don’t He can’t hold her safely. His do much after 15 minutes or hands are screaming in pain. so. Nor would cor tisone He apologizes and exshots. plains: Grandpa has arthritis. So let me whine a bit, if I This common ailment has may. been creeping up on me for Buttoning buttons? That years. Lately, the creep has can take two minutes for become a trot. each. HOW I SEE IT My hands ache whenever I By Bob Levey Tying shoelaces? Someuse them in any sustained or times Arthur makes me fumforceful way. Two fingers on my left hand ble one lace or the other. click and crack whenever I bend them, if Pulling a quart of milk out of the refrigI can bend them at all. The other eight are erator? I have to use both hands, or I starting to hurt. might drop it. Typing the previous paragraph proDriving hasn’t become an issue yet. If duced soreness. It’s no fun. Arthur makes his presence known while But my granddaughter is lots of fun. I’m executing a turn, I just grimace and She runs down the hall, calling out: finish. “Mama! Daddy! Grandpa has Arthur!” Handling silver ware is still easy, as I’m one of about 53 million Americans long as I don’t ask my two terrible fingers whom Arthur has targeted. That’s about to do any hoisting. But it’s weird to use one in every five Americans over age 18. only three of five fingers to cut a piece of Arthur appears when cartilage disap- chicken. pears. Over time, normal activity can wear As I turn the pages of a book — minor it away. There’s no cure for Arthur, and ouches each time — I remind myself that no treatments that can reverse him. there are many worse afflictions. If this is

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the worst physical problem I have, I should count myself lucky. But then, a package arrives. I bounce to the door to retrieve it. I hoist. I cringe. I use some colorful language. Dinner done, I start tackling the dishes. There’s the pot in which Grandma has cooked the veggies. I grab it with my “bad hand.” I drop it. It clangs to the counter, as if to say: “So, old guy, you forgot, huh?” Time to change the sheets. The last piece of this drill is the pillowcases. I carefully line up Case One and move to slip the pillow inside. Ouch. Arthur has reared his ugly head once again. Why is this landing on me? Could it be my choice of profession? I’ve spent more than 60 years as a writer. I have pounded many keyboards with great vigor. Is Arthur the inevitable result? Should I have become a soccer player, where using hands is forbidden? The medical profession is excellent in many ways, but doctors always resist predicting the future. That hasn’t kept me from asking my docs how bad this is going to get, and how soon.

The docs all say they don’t know, and won’t know. So I don’t know, and won’t know, either. In the meantime, I’ve tried a tactic that has done more than any ointment. Grandma found a squeezy rubber ball, slightly smaller than a baseball, and presented it to me. Whenever I feel Arthur coming on, I grab it and clench it with my bad hand. Then the less bad hand. This isn’t close to a cure. But during the squeezes, the pain flies away, and the stiffness seems to abate. Oldest truth is the truest truth: The simplest answer is often the best answer. An hour after I had clanked her to the floor, my granddaughter reappears. She asks if Arthur is still hurting me. No, I say, I’m OK now. That’s good, she says, because I don’t want Arthur to hurt you. I open my arms. She snuggles close for a hug. I wrap her up in a big one. Take that, Arthur. Buttons are one thing. Squeezes are much better. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

Crossword Puzzle

Find a new crossword every day on our website at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com/puzzles. Now You See It Now You See It 1

By Stephen Sherr By Stephen Sherr 5

Jumble answers on p. 23

52 59

53 61

62 66

1. Like Cinderella’s stepsisters 5. Bras which use more fabric than most 10. Brewpub offering 14. What ___ can go wrong? 15. “My bad!” 16. Back out of an Excel formula 17. What rats who don’t like the cruise’s musical entertainment do 20. “In Case of Emergency” contact ref. 21. Sushi option 22. It announces an annual COLA each Oct. 23. Enjoyed Costco samples 24. Lanyard-wearer 27. He wrote 12 novels about super-spy James 29. Put it on for the Dr. Seuss costume party 34. Emit lava or vitriol 36. Tool kept in the garden shed 37. Savior of wet cell phones 38. Curfew setters 41. More like a park in summer than fall 43. Kid on Family Ties or Modern Family 44. Scholarships and loans 46. Betty Grable’s were insured for $1 million 47. Provided non-verbal “I-Do”s 51. End of a LIFETIME 52. Stocky 56. It is an insult to be called a dumb or a smart one 58. Owner of 1996’s most popular URL 61. Any of the green props. in Monopoly 62. Golf guide 63. Usually a bad tool for solving crosswords, it is essential for this one 67. Took a card from the pile 68. Goaded 69. Great shoreline for a Halloween bonfire 70. Extra food on a diner plate 71. Dreamers’ antitheses 72. Appropriate watcher of a PG-13 movie 1. Interviewers 2. Send to Washington

46 49

Across

32 37

51 58

Down

10 16

Scrabble answers on p. 23

3. A plus in your net worth 4. Hillary Clinton, ___ Rodham 5. End of a frosh’s email address 6. Open-topped traincar 7. Back- and break8. Penultimate Greek letters 9. Abbreviate, abridge, and shorten 10. Frustrating vehicle in a CAPTCHA test 11. Improving photo quality 12. Improve readability 13. A Clue murder weapon 18. Fame 19. No pain, no ___ 25. Prerequisite for a driver’s license 26. Biblical suffix 28. “___ man is always poor” (Persian proverb) 30. Monopolize 31. End for cash- or carr32. High cards on Card Sharks 33. When preceding “cent,” it forms one word, but when preceding “dollar,” it forms two 34. Black Friday event 35. Insulted before the game even started 38. Dog shaker 39. Tiny bit 40. Guilty as ___ 42. The smallest number written with three syllables 45. Annoyed grunt, added to the OED in 2001 48. Bi-weekly tide 49. More cherished 50. Lynch and Letterman 53. Top of a steeple 54. Muppet who first appeared in 1969 55. Unit of arcade currency 56. Determines the new Scrabble score 57. Digital assistant, named for “beautiful victory” in Old Norse 59. The NYT now calls it a “guest essay” 60. Basic building block brand 64. Amazement 65. Stay alive 66. Understand the joke

Crossword answers on p. 23

Makes a great gift! | Arts & Style

NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

Books take on aliens and biological warfare By Joshua Z. Rokach In our era of scientific discoveries and breakthroughs, science fiction has become more credible. Two nonfiction authors use documented astrophysics and proven microbiology to debunk and project some common scenarios in science fiction. Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter, by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Simon Six 2026, 240 pages In one of the funniest and best-written books you will read, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, 67, director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, concludes that intelligent life exists beyond Earth. However, forget ever ything you may have learned about it. Tyson approaches his task with scientific rigor that will make you simultaneously think and laugh. The magnitude of the universe, with its myriad inhabitable planets, proves his first point. So do the age of the galaxies and the time it takes for intelligent life to develop. Yet so far we have neither observed nor encountered extraterrestrials. Indeed, they have never made their way here, and current science considers it impossible. We have no idea of the behavior or appearance of an extraterrestrial being. Tyson disproves cable TV claims that aliens carved markings on Stonehenge or constructed the Pyramids; he personally duplicated the carvings and attributes the myth about Egypt to racism. Modern telescopes have not detected Martian “canals” harboring life. A field of

BEACON BITS

Nov. 29

CELTIC MUSIC CONCERT: KINNFOLK

The Old Brogue Celtic Concert Series in Great Falls presents Kinnfolk, a musical duo from the Blue Ridge Mountains featuring octave mandolin and bodhrán (Irish drum). The concert takes place on Sun., Nov. 29 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760 Walker Rd., Great Falls. Tickets cost $25 plus tax, and a full dinner menu and bar are available for purchase. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit tinyurl.com/Kinnfolk or call (703) 759-3309.

“extraterrestrial fossils” actually contains earthly remains. A model that one “scientist” offered Tyson was actually a poorly glued pastiche of human and animal bones. NASA’s diagrams to attract aliens defy science. Creatures with large eyes (and small brains) lack the intelligence, and giants the mobility, to travel to Ear th. “Spaceships” lack the deceleration to land safely. In any case, extrater restrials would dismiss us. Aliens may not recognize us, mistaking cars for humanity. Tyson suggests proper etiquette if we ever meet intelligent life: Do not shake hands or wave. Instead, carry a Pythagorean triangle or similar tokens. Biological War: A Scenario, by Annie Jacobsen, Penguin Random House 2026, 406 pages

The Biological Weapons Convention banned them 51 years ago. Yet nations (Russia) cheat. Others (the West) develop pathogens, ostensibly for defense. Some genetic engineering leads to cures for diseases. What happens if deadly viruses escape? Biological Warfare, based on investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen’s interviews with 52 experts, depicts a slowmotion global collapse. Jacobsen, 59, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, teases with a stor y. A reveler unwittingly inhales a pathogen laced with a euphoriainducing chemical. He coughs and comes into contact with people as he parties and travels through busy airports to a heavily populated metropolitan area. Of course, his body breaks down, but the euphoria prevents him from taking measures. When it wears off, the person dies a hor-

ONE BIG HAPPY

By Rick Detorie

rible death. (Life parallels fiction: Last month, a Russian researcher inhaled deadly plague and exposed hundreds of others to the pathogen.) Next comes the history of contemporary research. Leonid Brezhnev personally authorized a clandestine program to wipe out the entire population of the West, while leaving everything else intact. Shockingly, he succeeded. A U.S. scientist discovered genetic engineering, which, when made public, allowed Soviet scientists to design a weapon that unleashes multiple diseases in one pathogen, especially those without developed countermeasures. Finally, back to the doomsday scenario: An explosion at a Russian lab thrusts biological agents into the air, and, in a pageturner, we see the world end slowly.

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Obituaries; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 23. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly ac cept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept re sponsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibit ing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

For Sale

Personal Services

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SHOP • MINGLE • EAT • Visit Vendor Members Group exclusively at the Markets of CRAFTS GALORE! 1st Saturdays (Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 7, & Dec 5) 9:30AM – 2:30PM held at Timonium UMC 2300 Pot Spring Rd., Timonium, MD 21093. A juried showcase of artistic brilliance featuring affordable, oneofakind homemade treasures for all ages (art, cozy textiles, personal goods, jewelry, whimsical decor, gourmet treats, holiday gift ideas, and more!) Bring the family. Savor tasty bites. Discover extraordinary artisan brands. Support local. Free Admission. Tour bus parking available. VendorMembersGroup. com #CraftsGalore! #MarylandCrafts #ShopLocalMD #VendorMembersGroup

Financial

Miscellaneous

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BEAUTIFUL TERRIER PUPPIES FOR SALE. Very playful. Males and females available, 3 months old. Tan and brown available with tan markings. $300 obo. Great pets for singles and families. Call Ed at 240 5158078. CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No longterm contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 18337421303.

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES — WE COME TO YOU. Senior Stylist provides licensed & insured professional hair and nail services in the comfort of your home. Women’s & Men’s Haircuts, Styling, Sets, Color, Manicures & more. Serving senior living communities and private homes throughout the region for over 10 years. Visit SeniorStylist.com or call 301338 8251.

Computer Services COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS, CELL PHONE Help For Seniors. We offer patient and thorough help for seniors with all matter of technology. We come to your home. We service MD, VA and DC. Call Senior Tech Pro at 3013370028. Available 24/7 Ask for Philip.

Events

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Wanted CASH FOR JEWELRY: GOLD, SILVER, AND COSTUME. Gary Roman, TheAtticLLC. com. 3015200755. LADY LOVES PRETTY AND INTERESTING THINGS: art, bricabrac, dishes, figurines, jewelry, pottery and silver. One item or entire estate. Personal favorites include Herend, Royal Copenhagen, Scandinavian pottery and glass and vintage Christmas and Halloween. Call Susan (301) 7851129. MD PML 2753.

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NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON — NOVEMBER 2026

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 20

M E A N D C U P S B E E R O O P S Y U N D O E L S E D E S E R T A S I N G S H I P E E L S S A A T E I C E I A N A T T E N D E E Y O U R T H I N G C A P S P E W H O E R I C E G R E E N E R P A R E N T S A I D L E G S A L E X W E D A N D N O D D E D I M E H E A V Y S E T A O L A V E P R O A S S D I S A P P E A R I N G I N K E G G E D E R I E D R E W D O E R S T E E N S I D E

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: FLUNG SHRUG INTENT TEDIUM Answer: No matter what numbers are added together, the total will equal --“SUMTHING”

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds. Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month for the Greater Baltimore edition; by the 20th for the D.C./Suburban Maryland Metro and Northern Virginia editions. Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500 • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you. Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number. • Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

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A D V E R T I S E R

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We thank our advertisers, who make our publication possible. Please patronize them and let them know you saw their ad in the Beacon! Clinical Health Studies Smell Test Study................ 7

Funeral Services Northern Virginia Jewish Funerals.............. 8 Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care................. 11

Home Improvement Renewal by Andersen...... 24

Housing

Real Estate Services

Ashby Ponds/Erickson....... 9 Brooke Grove Retirement Village.. ........................ 16 Culpepper Garden.. .......... 10 Falcons Landing................ 5 Greenspring/Erickson........ 9 Harbor at Quantico Creek........................... 11 Landing, The..................... 6 Riviera, The .................... 6 Tribute at the Glen............ 8 Williamsburg Landing..... 13 Woodleigh Chase/ Erickson......................... 9

Kellie Ackerman/ Compass Real Estate.... 10

Senior Resources Positive Aging Sourcebook.................. 15

Theatre/ Entertainment Stuart’s Melodies. ............ 18 U.S. Air Force Band......... 19 WAMU/88.5...................... 7

Travel NV Rides.......................... 8

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NOVEMBER 2026 — NOR THERN VIRGINIA BEACON

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Call 1-855-686-4824 by Dec. 31 to schedule a FREE consultation! RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 12/31/2026. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or entry/patio door, get one (1) window or entry/patio door 40% off, and 12 months no money down, no monthly payments, no interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or entry/patio doors between 10/1/2026 and 12/31/2026. 40% off windows and entry/patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or entry/patio door in the order. Additional $200 off your purchase, minimum purchase of 4 required, taken after initial discount(s), when you purchase by 12/31/2026. Subject to credit approval. 12-month Promotional Period: when no payments are due, interest accrues but is waived if balance is paid in full before Promotional Period expires. Any unpaid balance owed after Promotional Period, plus accrued interest, will be paid in installments based on terms disclosed in the financing agreement. Financing is provided by various financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. License numbers available at renewalbyandersen. com/license. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. †It is the only warranty among top selling window companies that meets all of the following requirements: easy to understand terms, unrestricted transferability, installation coverage, labor coverage, geographically unrestricted, coverage for exterior color, insect screens and hardware, and no maintenance requirement. Visit renewalbyandersen.com/nationsbest for details. ‡Review aggregator survey of 5-star reviews among leading national fullservice window replacement companies. Reputation.com March 2026. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. RBA14301 1