TIDBITS®EATS CARROTS
byJanetSpencer
Theword“carrot”comesfromtheGreekword “karoton”meaning“horn”referringtothe vegetable’shorn-likeshape.Comealongwith Tidbitsaswemunchcarrots!
CARROTFACTS
•Thecarrotisabiennialplant,takingtwo growingseasonstocompleteitslifecycle. Therootsgodownthefirstyear,andeasily survivethewinterunderground,whilethe fernyleavesflourishinthesummeranddie inthefall.Thesecondseason,thefeathery leavesproducewhiteflowers,which produceseeds.Commercialgrowersharvest carrotsafterthefirstseasonassoonasthe rootsarebigenoughtotaketomarket.Only asmallnumberofcarrotsareallowedtogo toseedthefollowingyear.Theseedsare tiny:ittakes2,000tofillateaspoon. Althoughcarrotrootsregenerateifplanted insoilorkeptinwater,virtuallyall commercialcarrotcropsaregrownfrom seed.
•Becausecarrotseedsaresotiny,theyare veryvulnerablewhenfirstplantedand seedlingswilldieiftheydryoutevenonce. However,aftertheplanthasreached maturity,itdoeswellindryconditions. Carrotsprefersloose,sandysoilthatis deeplytilledandnotwellfertilized.These conditionsforcethecarrotrootstogrow deeper.(cont)
CARROTS(cont)
•Iftherootencountersablockage,ittwists, resultinginstrangeshapes.Ifthebedis deeplymulched,carrotscanremaininthe groundoverwinter.Theirsugarcontent increasesduringdormancy.
•ThecarrotoriginatedinwhatisnowIran andAfghanistan.Theplantiscloselyrelated toQueenAnne’sLace.Bythe8thcentury, theMoorsweregrowingcarrotsinSpain andbythe11thcenturycarrotswere commonthroughoutAsia,India,and Europe.Atthattime,carrotswereevery colorexceptorange:purple,black,white, red,andyellow.
•Inthe1600s,acommonstrainofcarrotthat waspurpleontheoutsideandorangeonthe insidemutated,becomingorangealltheway through.Thisgeneticoddityalsoturnedout tobesweeterintastethanothercarrots.The Dutch,whofirstdiscoveredthisstrange carrot,becamethefirsttowidelycultivate whatisnowourfamiliarorangecarrot.
•There’saplaceinFranceoriginallycalled “Aurengia”meaning“temple”becausethere wasanaltarthere.ItwasGermanizedto “Orenge”andthenturnedinto“Orange” thoughithadnothingtodowitheitherthe fruitorthecolor.ThetowncalledOrange begataroyalbloodlinecalled“TheHouseof Orange”whichbegat“ThePrinceof Orange”whobecameKingWilliamIIIof England,knownasWilliamofOrange.He wasinstrumentalintheDutchrevoltagainst Spanishruleinthe1600s.Thiswasabout thetimethefirstorange-coloredcarrot appearedintheNetherlands,andsome peopleclaimthatthereasontheorange carrotbecamesopopularsoquicklywas becauseitwasconsideredatributeto WilliamofOrange.
•ThefirstcarrotsarrivedinAmericawiththe firstpilgrimswhofoundedJamestown.
•Americansweren’tfondofcarrotsuntil soldiersreturnedhomefromtheWorldWar Iwheretheyhadcontactwiththem.(cont)
•Useameshbagtoholdflowersinplaceina vase.Justrollorwaditupandputitdownin thebottomofthevase.Whenyouaredone withtheflowers,youcanuseasticktoswish thebagaroundandloosenanygunkinside thevasewhencleaning.Launderthemeshor justtoss.
•Whenfreezingleftovers,especiallysoupor stew,considerusingzipper-closingbags. Theycanbefilledandfrozenflat,then stackednicely.Theytakeupmuchlessroom thanstandardcontainers.
•"Tomakeawaterproofmattressprotectorin apinch,slitalargegarbagebagdownthe sideandbottom,layitflatoverthemattress andcoverwithabeachtowel.Thenputthe sheetoverthat.Thegarbagebagprotectsthe mattress;thetowelmakesitcomfortable." --U.D.inTennessee
•"Keepextralinerbagsinthebottomofthe garbagecan.Theyarehandy,soyouwillbe morelikelytorelinethecanassoonasyou takethegarbageout."--K.P.in Massachusetts
•Keepaboxofbakingsodainthefridge. Whenit'stimetoreplaceit,dumpitdown thedrainandfollowwithasmallbottleof vinegarandahotwaterflush.Keepyour kitchensmellingniceanduselesschemicals todoit.
•"Here'safuninvitationtomakeandreceive: Blowupaballoonandpinch(don'ttie). Writethedetailsofthepartyontheballoon inpermanentmarker.Letitdryfullybefore youdeflateit.Thensendit!"--R.A.in Washington
SendyourtipstoNowHere'saTip,628Virginia Drive,Orlando,FL32803.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
CARROTS(cont)
•DuringWorldWarII,theAlliesmadevast improvementsinradartechnology.Atthe sametime,itwasdiscoveredthathavingan instrumentpanellitwithredlightinsteadof whitelightresultedinimprovednight visionforpilots.Thesetwoinnovations resultedinanincreaseintherateatwhich pilotswereabletoshootdownGerman planes.ThestorygoesthattheBritish governmentspreadpropagandaaboutpilots beingfedplentifulcarrotswhichimproved theirvision,leadingtothehigherkillrate, becausetheydidn’twanttheGermansto findoutabouttheseimprovements.That’s onlypartofthetruth.Duringthewar,the governmentencouragedcitizenstogrow theirownfoodin“VictoryGardens”tohelp withthewareffort.Atthetime,carrotswere notapopularvegetable,inspiteofbeing easytogrowandexceptionallynutritious. Theywereconsideredtobea“poorman’s vegetable.”Thepropagandaaboutheroic carrot-eatingpilotssavingLondonfromthe Nazisincreasedinterestingrowingcarrots aroundthecountry.Britishcarrot productionduringthewarsoaredby300%.
•Theaveragefreshcarrotyieldperacre plantedisapproximately34,000lbs.
•Cumin,dill,anise,fennel,coriander, cilantro,andparsley,allofwhichare closelyrelatedtocarrots,arecultivatedfor theirseedswhicharehighlyflavored,just astheseedsofcarrotsare.Carrotsarealso closelyrelatedtoceleryandparsnip.
•Carrotjuiceissometimesusedtodarkenthe colorofcheese.
BABYCARROTSAREBORN
•In1985,MikeYurosekwasgrowingcarrots athismega-farmwhenhiswifeaskedifhe couldinventpre-peeledcarrots.Atthetime, about40%ofhiscropwenttowastebecause thecarrotsweremisshapenand unmarketable.Hehadtriedtosellthemas livestockfeed,buttheyturnedbeeffat orange.Whynotcutthecrookedcarrotsinto smallpiecesthesizeofathumbandmarket themas“baby”carrots?
•Thefirstproblemwasthatwhenthecarrots werecutandpolished,theyturnedwhite.A different“grit”wasusedforthepolishing andthatdidthetrick.Nextwasthatthe plasticbagswouldblowuplikeaballoon becausethecarrotswerestillaliveand “breathing.”Thiswassolvedbyrunningthe bagsthroughamachinethatprickedthem withathumbtack.Nowtheissuewasthat thecarrotswoulddryout,soasquirtof waterwasaddedbeforethebagswere sealed.
•Assoonastheyenteredthemarketin1990, babycarrotswereahit.Carrotconsumption doubledwithinthefirstyearoftheirrelease. Today,70%ofcarrotssoldarebabycarrots.
•Demandwassohighitoutstrippedthe supplyofoddlyshapedcarrots.Yurosek developedanewstrainthatislong,straight, thin,andperfectforcuttingintotwo-inch segments.Thepartsthatarethinnerthana thumbareturnedinto“carrotinis”andsold toschoolsforchildrentoeat.Thepeelsthat arepolishedoffareturnedtocarrotjuice withtheresidueaddedtoanimalfeed.Carrot topsarecomposted.Yurosek’scarrot businessisnowoneoftheleastwasteful vegetables.
•Atjust15yearsold,actorSylvester Stallone'sclassmatesvotedhim"mostlikely toendupintheelectricchair."
•Onedayin1930,theBBCannouncedonair that"thereisnonews,"andplayedpiano music.
•Fulmars,atypeofseabird,vomitputridfishy oilonpredatorybirdsinself-defense,which notonlysmellsawfulbutislethaltothe attackers,asitpermanentlygluestheir featherstogether.
•Ifviewedfromspaceorahighaltitude,the sunappearstobewhite.
•LarryLemieux,aCanadiansailoratthe1988 Olympics,wasabouttowinasilvermedal whenheabandonedtheracetosavetwo othercompetitorswhoseboathadcapsized. Whilehelostthesilvermedal,hewasgiven thePierredeCoubertinmedalfor sportsmanship.
•Ahydrangeaflower'scolorisdeterminedby therelativeacidityofthesoilinwhichit's grown:Acidicsoilwillproduceablue flower,whilealkalinesoilwillyieldapink blossom.
•TheSamipeopleofNorthernFinlandhavea unitofmeasurementcalledthe "poronkusema"--thedistanceareindeercan walkbeforeitneedstourinate.
•Hadasolareruptionhappenedninedays earlierthanitdidin2012,theEarthwould havebeenhitbyamassivesolarstormthat wouldlikelyhavecausedmajorX-rayand UVradiationandpowerfailureoverthe planet.Italsowouldlikelyhavecosttrillions ofdollarsandtakenfourto10yearsto recoverfrom.Timingreallyiseverything!
•ThehotelthatinspiredStephenKingtowrite "TheShining"playstheStanleyKubrick filmofthesamenameonacontinuousloop onchannel42forguests.
ThoughtfortheDay: "Greatopportunitiestohelpothersseldom come,butsmallonessurrounduseveryday."--
SallyKoch (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
PHOTOCREDIT:Kovels.com
PHOTOCAPTION:Thisunconventionaltablewasmadeinthe1980s byanunconventionalartist,JeffLederman.Itsoldfor$4,750atMain AuctionGalleriesinCincinnati.
LedermanArt
Inthe1980s,afriend'smotherdecidedto redecoratewithunfamiliarmodern-style furniture.Sheboughtasmallwoodentablethat waspaintedredanddesignedbyJeffLederman, anOhioartist.Thetablehadwonaprizefor designinanIllinoisstatecontest.
Ledermanwasabusyartistwhochanged interestsandoccupationsmanytimes.He designedlogosforcompaniesinthe1970sand furnitureinthe1980s.Forawhile,heputhisart asideforanewcareersavingwildlife.He paintedpicturesagainfrom2014to2018and startedmakingdigitalartin2020.
Q: Iamarealtorandamfortunateenoughtogo intoolderhomeswithmanyarchitectural elementsstillintact.I'vebecomefascinatedby theelaborateantiquedoorknobsIsee.Ibought onefor$25inanarchitecturalsalvagestorelast week.Itappearstobebrass.DoyouthinkIgot agooddeal?
A: Doorknobcollectingcanbealotoffun.In
theearly19thcentury,peoplestillopeneddoors withtheirthumbs.Theirdoorswerefittedwith wrought-ironthumblatches.Someofthe earliestbrassdoorknobsintheU.S.started appearingaroundthatsametime.Theywere fixedtosurface-mountedlocks.Brass,bronze, potteryandglasshardwarewerepopularinthe late19thandearly20thcenturies.Inthe1950s to1970s,urbanrenewalprogramscausedmany agingVictorianhousestobedestroyed,withthe lossofartistichardware.Thedestruction spurredthecreationoftheAntiqueDoorknob CollectorsofAmerica.Detailedinformationcan befoundattheirwebsite, www.AntiqueDoorKnobs.org.Knobscanbe foundinsecondhandshops,atdemolished buildingsites,fleamarkets,malls,onlineshops andauctions.Itlookslikewhatyoupaidisa fairprice.
CURRENTPRICES
PairofDresdenporcelaincandleholders,fourlight,figuralangelpost,bluedrape,holding threeshapedarmsencrustedwithsmallflowers, goldtrim,marked,Schierholz,after1930,15x 9inches,pair,$65.
Folkartfigure,swan,hardwoodroot,carved, polished,glasseyes,signedG.Mille,1986,18x 27inches,$340.
Potterystatue,Indonesianwoman,talland slender,darkskin,longstripedskirt,white blouse,flowingwhiteheadscarf,marked,Mari Simmulson,Sweden,1940s,15inches,$465. Pairofglassurns,Regencystyle,cutglasslower bodywithstrawberrycutting,flaredupper sectionwithengravedgrapesandleaves,domed starcutbase,9x7inches,pair,$585.
Lookingtodeclutter,downsizeorsettlean estate?Kovels'Antiques&CollectiblesPrice Guide2023byTerryandKimKovelhasthe resourcesyou'relookingfor.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
STREAMINGSOURCE
Here'swhattowatchandwheretowatchitfor theweekofMay29,2023.
ONNOW:"BamaRush"(Documentary)--Max
ONNOW:"TheSecretsofHillsong" (Docuseries)--Hulu
ONNOW:"BeingMaryTylerMoore" (Documentary)--Max
ONNOW:"AmericanBornChinese"(Season1) --Disney+
30-May:"IThinkYouShouldLeavewithTim Robinson"(Season3)--Netflix
30-May:"JellyRoll:SaveMe"(Documentary) --Hulu
31-May:"DragMetoDinner"(Season1)-Hulu
2-June:"Manifest"(Season4,Part2)--Netflix
2-June:"ShootingStars"(PG-13)--Peacock
2-June:"WithLove"(Season2)--Amazon PrimeVideo
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
ARIES(March21toApril19) Problemsbegin toaffectrelationships,bothpersonaland professional.Actnowtoshoreupthoseweak foundationsbeforeitallcomescrashingdown aroundyou.
TAURUS(April20toMay20) Takeabreak fromallthathardworkyou'vebeendoing. There'snothinglikesomewell-earnedfunand gamestochargeupthoseBovinebatteriesand sendyoubackfullyenergizedandreadytogo.
GEMINI(May21toJune20) Deceptioncan sometimesaffectperception.Youshouldtakea longer,deeperlookatwhatyou'rebeingoffered. Thingsmightnotbequitewhatyoufirstthought theywere.
CANCER(June21toJuly22) Afriend's loyaltysuddenlycomesintoquestion.But, beforeyourushtojudgment,listentowhatthey havetosay.Thiscouldbeanimportantlearning lessonforyou.
LEO(July23toAugust22)Thetimehascome foryoutosetthingsright.Yourcouragewill helpyoumeetthedifficultchallengeahead. Otherswillbeinspiredbyyouractionsandrally tosupportyou.
VIRGO(August23toSeptember22) A stubborninsistencethatyourwayistheonly waytosolveproblemscouldmakethingsworse thantheyare.Openyourmindtosuggestions fromothers.
LIBRA(September23toOctober22) Aclose associaterevealsasecretthatcouldaffectan upcomingdecision.Relyonyournatural instincttoweigheverythingcarefully,tohelp yougetthroughthisdilemma.
SCORPIO(October23toNovember21) Congratulations!Yourdecisiontotakeaction anddealwithalong-simmeringsituationinthe workplacebeginstopayoff.Inaddition,a familymemberhassomegoodnews.
SAGITTARIUS(November22toDecember 21) Youstillneedtopersuadeyourpartnerthat you'resincereinwantingtosavethis relationship.Remember:Performancespeaks louderthanpromises.
CAPRICORN(December22toJanuary19) Adisappointmentintheworkplacecanbea blessingindisguise.Takeanotherlookatyour goalsandseeifthisisthepathyoureallywant tofollow.
AQUARIUS(January20toFebruary18) Avoidwindingupinthemiddleofanunpleasant familysituationbyreassuringyour cantankerouskinfolkthatyoulovethemall-butthatyouwon'ttakesides.
PISCES(February19toMarch20) A successfulworkplacemovebeginstopayoff withoffersofnewopportunities,butsomemight comewithstringsattached.Checkthemall carefullybeforedeciding.
BORNTHISWEEK:Youlovetoentertain. Youappreciatefinefoodandelegant surroundings.You'rehappiestwhenyoumake otherpeoplefeelgoodaboutthemselves.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
ShouldIWithholdWater FromMyPuppytoAid Housetraining?
DEARPAW'SCORNER:Ipurchasedapuppy whois2monthsoldfromabreederinanother state.I'mhavingtroublehousetrainingher.She drinkswaterallday,butshecan'tholdherpee andendsupwettingonthefloor.Iworkfrom home,butIcan'tcatchherandcorrecther. Instead,IthinkIshouldjusttakethewaterbowl awayformostoftheday.Willthatwork?-FrustratedinTallahassee
DEARFRUSTRATED: Donottakeawaythe waterbowl.Petsshouldalwayshaveaccessto water,regardlessoftheirhousetrainingstatus. Puppieshavereallytinybladdersandcannot holdtheirwaterforverylong.Sotheypeemuch morefrequentlythanyourealize.Butthey shouldn'thavetosufferandbethirstyjust becausetheiraccidentsareinconvenientfor you.
Thislinkhasdetailedinformationandadviceon managingpuppyhousetrainingissues: iaabcjournal.org/housetraining-hang-ups/, includingwhentocontactaveterinarian. Onegreatpieceofadvicehereistocreatea puppyplaypenandlineitwithpeepads,aswell aswater-resistantchewtoys.Asyourpuppy growsandgetsbetteratholdingtheirbladder andunderstandsyourcommandsbetter, graduallytakeawaypadsuntilthereisjustone "target"inthepen.
Aboveall,bepatientwithyournewpuppy.She isstartingoutinawholenewworld,inatiny bodythatisconstantlychangingandgrowing. Setaroutinewithfrequentoutdoorpottybreaks inthesamespot.Rewardherwhenshepees outside.Shewillgetthis--eventually! Sendyourtips,commentsorquestionsto ask@pawscorner.com.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
MakeCrispyPotatoChips intheMicrowave
Whenyouhear"farmtotable,"potatochips probablyaren'tthefirstthingtocometomind asanaturalfoodyoucanpreparefromyour localgrower.Say"potatochips"tokids,and theynodoubtassociatethemwiththecrinkly bagsbulgingfromgrocerystoreshelves.
Withamyriadofchoicesoftastychips,I'm notinclinedtoregularlymakemyown,butit issuperfuntoshowchildrenhowcrispy potatochipscancomeoutofyourown kitcheninjustminutestoaccompanya sandwichatlunchtime.
Evenifyoudon'thavekidstosharethe experiencewith,sliceupaspud--amedium potatomakesabout35chips--andgivethem centerstagewithappetizerswhenfriendspop over.Iseasonthechipswithgarlicsalttoadd ziptothecrunch.
Oh,youmaybewondering,dotheytaste great?Justaskmyadultson,whosawmy freshbatchneatlypiledonaplateand declaredthemthebestchipsever."Umm, Bjorn,theywereforthephotoforthe column,"IsaidwhenIcaughthimintheact. "Noworries,Mom,"hereplied,tossingthe lastchipinhismouth."Likeyousay,they onlytakeminutestomake."
MICROWAVEPOTATOCHIPS
•Makesabout35chips
•1mediumrussetorredpotato,peeledor unpeeled
•Oliveoil
•Salt
•Garlicpowder,driedherbsandspices (optional)
•Useamandolineslicerorhand-slicingtoolto cutthepotatowidthwiseinto1/8-inchto1/16inchslices.Ifyouopttoslicethemwitha knife,makesurethethicknessisequal.Place inabowlofcoldwaterforabout5minutes.
•Askyourchildtosettheslicesonapaper towelorcleankitchentowel.Patwelltodry.
•Drizzleadinner-sizedplatewitholiveoil.(I preferaclearglassplate.)Yourchildwill enjoyusingabastingbrushtospreadathin layeroftheoilovertheplate.Arrangesomeof theslicesinasinglelayer,makingsurethey don'ttouch.Lightlybrushthemwithoil.
Placeinmicrowaveonhighfor3minutes.An adultshouldopenthemicrowaveandturnthe potatoslicesoverwithaspatula(platewillbevery hot).Microwaveanother2minutesormoreuntil browntoensurethattheyarecrisp.Youmayneed todoanadditionalminute.Transfertoaserving plateandsprinklewithsaltandadditional seasoning,ifyouwish.
Drizzleabitmoreoliveoilonamicrowave-safe plateandrepeatwithremainingslices.Servethe sameday.
Note: Timeswillvaryaccordingtoyour microwave,plateandthicknessoftheslices. DonnaEricksoncreatesrelationshipsandcommunity throughfoodandfun.Findmoretonourishanddelight youatwww.donnaerickson.com.
(c)2023DonnaEricksonDistributedbyKingFeatures Synd.
TheHealthDetectives
We,atVitalHealth,usethephrase“Wearethe HealthDetectives”quiteoften.Butwhatdoes thatmean?
Becauseweliveinaworldofsometimes “simple”solutionswhenitcomestohealth challenges,wemissthebiggerpictureofwhat maybecausingtheprobleminthefirstplace. Forinstance,ifwehaveaheadache,wejusttake Ibuprofen,aspirinorwhateverworkstogetrid ofit.Wedon’tgenerallystopandask“butwhat iscausingmyheadache?”Wejustrespondby takinganantidote.Maybeyouhaveheartburn andyoujusttakeanacid-stoppingdrug,orjoint painandyoutakeananti-inflammatory.But whatiscausingthesesymptoms?
ThatiswheretheHealthDetectivesconcept comesin.Wearelookingforcausation.There aremanycausesforheadaches.Headachescan becausedfromdehydration,sinuscongestion, hormonalimbalances,toxicityissues,neck problemsorevensomethingserious.Takingan aspirinwhenitisadehydration,sinus congestion,hormonalimbalance,etc.mayhelp temporarily,butwillitremedytheproblem?Itis criticaltofindtheWHY.
Let’srelateittoourcar.Inordertodrive effectively,youneedwheels,anengine,a steeringwheelandaframetokeepitall together.Ifyouaremissingpieces,suchasthe axles,youwon’tgofar.Ifyourcarisn’t working,you’relikelytotakeittoamechanic whowillrundiagnosticsonit,findtheproblem,
thenfixit.Itisnodifferentinthebody.Wehave lotsofworkingpartsthatneedtowork harmoniouslytogether.Yeah,wecanloseabody part,suchasagallbladderandyourbodywill stillfunction,butnotlikeitusedto.Wecanlose thetiresandstillhavethewheels,butdoesitstill drivethesame?
Whenourcarhasaproblem,awarningindicator lightsuptotellusthereisaproblem.Ourbodies havewarningindicatorstoo–they’recalled “symptoms”.Justaswewouldn’tputapieceof ducttapeoverthewarningindicatorlightinour car,weshouldn’tdothatwithourbodyeither. Takingibuprofenoranacid-stoppingmedor anti-inflammatorydrugisakintotheducttape. Ourbodycanbecomplex.Itgenerallytellsusin morethanonewaywhatiswrong.Puttingthe symptomstogetherislikeputtingtogetherthe piecesofapuzzle.Everysymptomisapiece. Thebestwaytotreatsomeoneistotreatthe picture,andallitrevealstous,atthesametime, ratherthantreatthepuzzlepiece–theindividual symptom.Ittakesdetectiveworktoseehowall thepiecesfittogethertocomeupwitha causativefactor,andthentreatthat. Goingbeyondthenormaldiagnosticsand delvingdeeperintothingsthatcangowrongis whatHealthDetectivesdo.Also,puttingitall togetherlikeapuzzleandtreatingthepictureis whatVitalHealthdoes.
WanttohearmorefromDr.Carling?Checkout ourpodcast.SearchforVitalHealth4Youon yourfavoritepodcastlisteningapporgoto vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/
Dr.HollyCarlingisaDoctorofOrientalMedicine,LicensedAcupuncturist,DoctorofNaturopathy, ClinicalNutritionistandMasterHerbologistwithoverfourdecadesofexperience.Dr.Carlingisa“Health Detective,”shelooksbeyondyoursymptompictureandinvestigatesWHYyouareexperiencingyour symptomsinthefirstplace.Dr.Carlingiscurrentlyacceptingnewpatientsandoffersnaturalhealthcare servicesandwholefoodnutritionalsupplementsinherCoeurd’Aleneclinic.VisitDr.Carling’swebsite atwww.vitalhealthcda.comtolearnmoreaboutDr.Carling,viewalistofupcominghealthclassesand readotherinformativearticles.Dr.Carlingcanbereachedat208-765-1994andwouldbehappytoanswer anyquestionsregardingthistopic.
Medical/HealthDisclaimer:Theinformationprovidedinthisarticleshouldnotbeconstruedaspersonalmedicaladviceor instruction.Noactionshouldbetakenbasedsolelyonthecontentsofthisarticle.Readersshouldconsultappropriatehealth professionalsonanymatterrelatingtotheirhealthandwell-being.Theinformationandopinionsprovidedherearebelievedtobe accurateandsound,basedonthebestjudgmentavailabletotheauthor,butreaderswhofailtoconsultappropriatehealthauthorities
Proposed2024VABudgetnot GoodforVeterans
Whiletheproposed2024Departmentof VeteransAffairsbudgetincreaseof5%sounds good,it'sactuallythelowesthikethey'veseenin nearly10years.Thepresidentclaimsthatthere isa"sacredobligation"tosupportveteransand that$325billionwilldojustthat. Asalways,thedevilisinthedetails,andthat budgetwouldcutintocriticalVAprogramsto thetuneof22%.
PeraVA.govnewsrelease,thosecutswould mean:
--30millionfewerhealthcareoutpatientvisits foreverythingfrommentalhealthservicesto cancerscreeningsandtreatmentstowellness care.
--81,000jobswouldvanishacrossthehealth caresystemattheVA.
--50,000housingvoucherswouldbe eliminated.
--6,000jobswouldbeeliminatedamongthose whohandlethedisabilityclaimsbacklogs, whichwouldcausedelaysingettingbenefitsfor education,insurance,pensionsandmore.The netresultwouldbe134,000additional backloggedclaims.Thiscomesatthesametime theVAissupposedtobeincreasinghiring becauseoftheextraworkduetothePACTAct, whichoffershelpandbenefitstothoseveterans whowereexposedtotoxins.
--500cemeteryworkerjobswouldbelost, meaningthefivenewcemeterieswouldbe delayedandmaintenanceatcurrentcemeteries wouldsuffer.
--Impairedabilitiestoexpandtelehealthcare, withlimitedmedicalequipmentfortheveterans touseathome.Theinformationandtechnology area,forexample,wouldbeshort$345million forthenetwork.
--$565millionlessforconstructiontofixor buildVAhospitalsandclinics.
Ifyoureadaboutthebudgetinvariousplaces, alltheglowinglanguagemightmakeitlookas thoughsomanymillionsarebeingprovidedto helpveterans...butkeepacalculatorhandy anddothemath.Consideryourownfinancial positionandthinkofwhata22%shortfall woulddo.Therewouldbecutbacks,doing without,unmetneeds,etc.
Toreadmoreaboutthedamagethebudget woulddo,checkoutwww.va.gov/opa/pressrel/ pressrelease.cfm?id=5874.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
1.NametheU.S.swimmerwhowongold medalsinthemen's800-meterand1,500-meter freestyleeventsatthe2020TokyoSummer Olympics.
2.Lost,Firewire,RustyandPyzelareamongthe leadingmanufacturersofequipmentforwhat sport?
3.WhatnationalteamhasdominatedtheIKF WorldKorfballChampionship,winning10of thefirst11titlesdatingbackto1978?
4.Whatgolfcourse,locatedinChaska, Minnesota,hostedthePGAChampionship (2002,2009)andthe2016RyderCup?
5.Dwayne"TheRock"Johnsonstarredinwhat HBOsportsdramedythatranforfiveseasons from2015-19?
6.Whatnicknameisgiventothelastplayer selectedinthefinalroundofeachNFLDraft?
7.AvivaStadium,builtonthesiteoftheformer LansdowneRoadStadium,isasoccerandrugby facilitylocatedinwhatcity?
Answers
1.RobertFinke.
2.Surfing.
3.TheNetherlands.
4.HazeltineNationalGolfClub.
5."Ballers."
6.Mr.Irrelevant.
7.Dublin,Ireland. (c)2023KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.
1.TELEVISION:Whatisthenameofthehigh schoolin"BuffytheVampireSlayer"?
2.MOVIES:WhovoicedthecharacterWoody in"ToyStory"?
3.LITERATURE:Whoarethetragicloversin thenovel"WutheringHeights"?
4.ADSLOGANS:Whichproductinvites consumersto"tastetherainbow"?
5.FOOD&DRINK:Whichrootvegetableis knownasJapanesehorseradish?
6.ANATOMY:Whatsubstancegivesskinits color?
7.GEOGRAPHY:WherearetheGreat PyramidsofGizalocated?
8.HISTORY:Whowasthefirstfemaleprime ministerofGreatBritain?
9.SCIENCE:Whatisthehollow,woodytissue thatcarrieswaterandnutrientsfromaplant's rootstotheentireplant?
10.U.S.STATES:Whichistheonlystatethat doesn'thaveamandatoryseatbeltlawfor adults?
•OnJune9,1902,WoodrowWilsonwas electedpresidentofPrincetonUniversity, holdingtheofficeuntilresigningin1910to runforgovernorofNewJersey.Wilsonhad graduatedfromtheuniversityin1879before studyinglawattheUniversityofVirginia, thenearningaPh.D.fromJohnsHopkins University.HeremainsthesoleU.S. presidenttohavereceivedadoctoraldegree.
•*OnJune7,1939,GeorgeVIandElizabeth IbecamethefirstkingandqueenofGreat BritaintotraveltotheUnitedStates,where theymetwithPresidentFranklinD. Rooseveltathisinvitation.Inalettertoher mother-in-law,QueenElizabethdescribed theRooseveltsas"suchacharmingand unitedfamilyandlivingsolikeEnglish peoplewhentheycometotheircountry house."
•OnJune11,1963,Alabamagovernor GeorgeWallacestoodinfrontoftheFoster AuditoriumattheUniversityofAlabama andrefusedentrytotwoAfricanAmerican students,resultingintheissueofExecutive Order11111byPresidentJohnF.Kennedy. TheorderbroughtintheNationalGuard, forcingWallacetostepaside.
•OnJune5,1981,aweeklyMorbidityand MortalityReportpublishedbytheCenters forDiseaseControlandPreventionnoted fivecasesofarareformofpneumoniain LosAngeles.Later,theywouldbe recognizedasthefirstincidencesofthe AIDSvirus.
•OnJune10,2003,theHenryFordMuseum ofAmericanInnovationinDearborn, Michigan,openedMrs.Fisher'sSouthern CookingrestaurantinhonorofAbbyFisher, whojourneyedfromenslavedplantation cooktoupscalecatererandcookbookauthor aftermigratingwesttoCalifornia."What Mrs.FisherKnowsAboutOldSouthern Cooking,Soups,Pickles,Preserves,Etc."is theoldestknowncookbookbyaformerly enslavedperson.
•OnJune9,2020,Dr.KathySullivanbecame thefirstwomantoreachthedeepestpartof theocean,theMarianaTrench(36,201feet). Sullivanhadearlierachievednotorietyby becomingthefirstAmericanwomanto completeaspacewalk,in1984. (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
DeclutteringDoItYourWay
Considerthisafirsthandaccountofclearing clutter.Ireadseveralself-helpbooks;Isought advicefromthosewhocallthemselvesexperts. ButIsuspectedthatthe"howtodeclutter"books wouldbealostcausewhenIsawpassagesthat suggestedtakingphotosofcherisheditemsasa wayofrememberingthem;Iknewthatplanwas notforme.Itwasthesamewithinstructionsto takeitoneroomatatimeortotakemonthsto finishthetask.
Intheend,IrejectedallIheardandreadand optedfordoingitmyway:quicklyand ruthlessly.
Thekeytosuccessfuldeclutteringistoask yourselfrealisticquestions:
Ifyou'reworkingonclothingandrealizethat youhaven'tworncertainitemsinyears,how likelyareyoutowearthemeveragain?Ifyou haveasetofdishwareonceownedbyyour grandmotherandhaveneverusedit,areyou likelytoeveruseitnow?Ifyou'resorting memorabiliafromvacations,doyouremember thedetailsofyourtrip?
Giveyourselfonemonthtodeclutter,workingat itforatleastanhoureveryday,boxingthingsup asyougoanddividingthemintoitemstobe donatedortobethrownout.Attheendofthe month,callthedumphaulersorthepeoplewho takedonations.
Keepinmind:Ifyouhaven'tputupoutdoor holidaydecorationsinfiveyears,youwon'tstart now.Relativeswhoindicatetheywantacertain itemneedtoremoveitimmediately.Youreally don'tneed17setsofsheetsortowels.Just becauseyourmotherkeptherownmother's cherisheditemsfor30yearsdoesn'tmeanyou needtodothesame.
Butbestofall:Ifsomethingisnolongerona shelf,youdon'thavetodustit.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
SENATORSHELLEY MOORECAPITO: ALZHEIMER’SDISEASEIS DEVASTING
FAMILIES…(opinionsummary)
“Healthcareisasubjectthatremainsfrontand centerinsomanyofournationalconversations anddebates…Itcontinuestopollasatop concernamongtheAmericanpublic.
…Oneofthoseissuesissomethingthatisvery closetomyheart:Alzheimer’sdisease. LikesomanyAmericans,Ihavefelttheimpacts ofthisdisease.Ilostbothofmyparentsto Alzheimer’s,andourfamilyhelpedtocarefor them.SoIunderstandthedifficultiesthat caregiversandlovedonesfaceastheytryto figureoutthisdifficultchallenge.
Thisdiseaseisdevastating,andthereisnobook oramagicformulaforhowtofaceit.ButIfeel stronglythatwecandomoretoeasethepainof thosewhosufferfromAlzheimer’s,tohelptheir caregivers,andmostimportantly,tofindacure. ThestatisticssurroundingAlzheimer’sare staggering.MorethanfivemillionAmericans arelivingwiththedisease,andit’sestimated thatasmanyas16millionwillhaveitin2050 withoutsomekindofmedicalbreakthroughs. ThecostofcaringforthosewithAlzheimer’s andotherdementiasisalsonotable:anestimated $277billionin2018,increasingto$1.1trillion by2050. Nottomentiontheemotionalcosts.
Thesenumbersmakeitclearthatwehavesome worktodo…Isowishmyparentshadthe opportunitytobeinvolvedindecisions regardingtheirowncare,butit’smyhopethat throughearlyassessmentanddiagnosis,wecan giveothersthatopportunity… Atthesametime,it’sessentialthatwecontinue workingtowardacure.
AsamemberoftheSenateAppropriations Committee,I’veworkedwithLabor-Healthand HumanServicesSubcommitteeChairmanRoy Blunt,R-Mo.,andotherstoprovideresources forcriticalAlzheimer’sresearch.Withthe passageoflastyear’sgovernmentfundingbill, wehavesurpassedthe$2billionmilestonewhen itcomestoAlzheimer’sresearch,providingthe NationalInstitutesofHealththefundingitneeds tocontinueitsworkandtohelpsupportthework ofothers.
It’seasytogetdiscouragedwhenyouhearabout aonce-promisingclinicaltrialnotmoving forward,whenyoulearnanotherpersonyou knowhasbeendiagnosedwithAlzheimer’s,or whenacuremayseemsofaraway.But observingtheresearchbeingdoneatNIHand otherinstitutionsacrossthecounty,seeingthe hopeanddeterminationintheeyesofthose fightingback,andwitnessingthebipartisan commitmenttotacklingthisdisease—that’sall proofthatwearemakingprogress…”
Pleasecallforatourofour“HOMES,”fortruly theyare…
1.Nametheartistwhowroteandreleased"Buffalo Stance."
2.Whatwasthefirstchart-topperreleasedbyThe Tokens?
3.NametheMotowngroupthatreleased"Heat Wave."
4.WheredidUB40getitsname?
5.Namethesongthatcontainstheselyrics:"Domy dreamingandmyscheming,Lieawakeandpray."
Answers
1.NenehCherry,in1988.A"buffalostance"isan attitudeaboutsurvivalininnercities,specifically writtenaboutthemodels,musiciansand photographersintheBuffalofashionhousein London.
2."TheLionSleepsTonight,"in1961.Thesong wasfirstwritteninZuluin1939andisalternately called"Wimoweh"and"Mbube."
3.MarthaandtheVandellas,in1963.Thesonghas beenwidelyusedinfilms,including"Carrie," "SisterAct"andthesequel"MoreAmerican Graffiti."
4.TheUB40isawelfareformintheU.K.for claimingbenefits.Allthebandmemberswere unemployedwhentheyformedthegroup.
5."InMyRoom,"bytheBeachBoys,in1963.The songmadeittoRollingStone'slistof500greatest songs,andit'sbeencoveredbynumerousartists. The30-yearboxsetcontainsaslightlyearlier versionthantheonethatwasofficiallyreleased.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSyndicate
