Vol. 19: #44 • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade • (10-29-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

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Week of October 29, 2023

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In the fall of 1920, Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia sponsored a Thanksgiving parade that meandered several blocks through downtown and ended at the front door to their store. It was all a gimmick designed to promote their new “Toyland” display, and it worked. But little did they know that their clever publicity stunt would lead to a celebration that would become an annual event and a prominent part of our American culture.

Call me Today!

• The success of the Gimbelʼs parade did not go Loan Officer NMLS ID# 248717 PROOF ADVERTISING NMLS ID# 248717 760-275-5905 unnoticed by executives at New Yorkʼs newly e: gkouri@cmghomeloans.com e: gkouri@cmghomeloans.com w: www.gkouri.com nal Changes DUE: 12:00Macyʼs NOON ADVERTISING PROOF Department Store. The director was w: www.gkouri.com DVERTISING PROOF opened Loan Officer NMLS ID# 248717 Loan Officer NMLS ID# ID# 248717 248717 NMLS NMLS ID# 248717

e: gkouri@cmghomeloans.com e: gkouri@cmghomeloans.com

e: e:www.gkouri.com gkouri@cmghomeloans.com w:gkouri@cmghomeloans.com www.gkouri.com w: e: w: www.gkouri.com w:gkouri@cmghomeloans.com www.gkouri.com

w: www.gkouri.com PALM SPRINGS BRANCH ADVERTISING PROOF PALM SPRINGS BRANCH Palm Springs, CA92262 arefully.

DoubleDUE: check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling Prices Hours hanges 12:00NOON NOONand felt that a Thanksgiving Day Parade 340 Dr., Ste A20312:00 Changes DUE: 340S.S.Farrell Farrell Ste A203 Branch NMLSDr., ID# 2475202 generated, ct your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.

PALM SPRINGS BRANCH

340 S. SPRINGS Farrell Dr.,BRANCH Ste A203 PALM

PALM SPRINGS BRANCH Palm Springs, 92262 Dr., ew carefully.DUE: Double check: S.CA Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices by  Hours 340 Farrell Ste A203 l Changes 12:00 NOON 340 S. PALM Farrell Ste A203Dr., BRANCH impressed the excitement the Gimbel’s parade 340Dr., S.SPRINGS Farrell Ste A203 Branch NMLS ID# 2475202

Palm Springs, 92262 CA 92262 PalmCA Springs, Branch NMLS ID# NMLS 2475202ID# 2475202 Branch

Palm Springs, CA92262 92262 Palm Springs, CA George Kouri ully.

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BranchNMLS NMLS ID# Branch ID#2475202 2475202 would be the ideal way to publicize the Macy’s Loan Officer 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 0-320-0997 valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 NMLS email: ID# 248717 our Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. idbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. brand. It would show off their rapidly expanding Borrower is still responsible for taxes and insurance. This ad is not from HUD or the FHA and was not approved by HUD or any government agency.

CMG Mortgage, Inc. dba CMG Home Loans dba CMG Financial, NMLS# 1820, is an equal housing lender. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act No. 4150025. To verify our complete list of state licenses, please visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing and www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Borrower is still responsible for taxes and insurance. This ad is not from HUD or the FHA and was not approved by HUD or any government agency.

is still responsible forand taxes and insurance.

This is not from HUDLicensed or the FHAand and was not approved byby HUD or any government agency.

Borrower isBorrower still taxes insurance. isad not from HUD the FHA was not approved HUD or any government agency.

CMG Mortgage, Inc.responsible dba CMG Homefor Loans dba CMG Financial, NMLS#This 1820,ad is an equal housing lender.or by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)Inc. under theCMG California Residential Lending Act No.NMLS# 4150025.1820, To verify our equal complete list of state licenses, CMG Mortgage, dba Home Loans Mortgage dba CMG Financial, is an housing lender.

Licensed by the Department of Financial

CMG Mortgage, Inc. dba CMG Homeand Loans dba CMG Financial, NMLS# 1820, is an equal housing lender. Licensed by the Department of Financial please visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Protection and Innovation (DFPI) under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act No. 4150025. To verify our complete list of state licenses, Protection please and Innovation (DFPI) under the Californiaand Residential Mortgage Lending Act No. 4150025. To verify our complete list of state licenses, visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. please visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing and www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

0-320-0997 -0997

email:valleybits@msn.com valleybits@msn.com email:

Fax: Fax:760-320-1630 760-320-1630 store chain and draw in holiday shoppers by the

Borrower is still responsible for taxes and insurance. This ad is not from HUD or the FHA and was not approved by HUD or any government agency.

Borrower is still responsible for taxes and insurance. This ad is not from HUD or the FHA and was not approved by HUD or any government agency.

CMG Mortgage, Inc. dba CMG Home Loans dba CMG Financial, NMLS# 1820, is an equal housing lender. Licensed by the Department of Financial

Protection (DFPI) under theCMG California Residential Mortgage Acthousing No. 4150025.

To verify our complete list of state licenses, CMG Mortgage, Inc. and dbaInnovation CMG Home Loans dba Financial, NMLS# 1820, isLending an equal lender.

Licensed by the Department of Financial visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Protection please and Innovation (DFPI) under the Californiaand Residential Mortgage Lending Act No. 4150025. To verify our complete list of state licenses, please visit www.cmgfi.com/corporate/licensing and www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

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droves. After all, they were at the time the largest retailer in the country.

Macy's Day Parade: Turn to page 3

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PEOPLE WORTH REMEMBERING

TRIVIA NEWSFRONT

(Answers on page 16)

One in a series

ELI WHITNEY

Vol. IXX Issue No. 44

Whitney’s designs, created their own crude machines, and spread lies that Whitney had not actually invented the device in the first place.

Determined to protect his property rights, Whitney filed a series of lawsuits, numbering more than 60 in Georgia alone.

• As if battling with his collective adversaries was not grief enough, Whitney’s Connecticut factory, including all his hand-made tools, was burned to the ground by a fire. He eventually rebuilt, and then for the next ten years successfully battled his cases through the courts.

In the year 1793, Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, but his contributions to technology went far • Once the litigation procedures were finally settled, Whitney turned his attention to the beyond constructing that simple machine. His manufacture of military rifles. Political tensions inventive mind later played a key role in driving overseas were brewing at the time between the the Industrial Revolution in America. This week United States and both the British and French Tidbits looks at this remarkable man and some of governments, two nations which had previously the contributions he made during his lifetime. been America’s chief sources of weapons.

• Born in 1765 in Massachusetts, Whitney was a

born entrepreneur. Even as a youth he spent long • With his customary self-confidence, Whitney proposed to provide the United States governhours bent over the forge, drawing out slivers of ment 15,000 stands of arms. Under pressure from iron into hatpins to sell for a handsome profit. war rumors then circulating in Europe, a nervous • Not content with simply tinkering all his life, Congress agreed to his proposal and gave him Whitney graduated from Yale and then took a job the order, contingent upon their performance. as tutor to a wealthy family in Charleston, South

Carolina. Passing through the impoverished • As he had previously done in producing the cotton gins, Whitney now applied his technique South, Whitney observed the hassle laborers of including interchangeable parts into the faced in gleaning cotton, a crop that had recently design of the muskets. been introduced there. The tough, pointed seed pods had to be individually plucked from the • Before the contract would be signed, Federal fiber by hand, a painful, monotonous process inspectors first tested his muskets by assembling requiring many workers and many long hours. them from a tableful of individual parts. After fitting together several sample guns they field • Whitney knew there had to be a better way to tested them, and they all fired successfully. do this, and began experimenting with possible President Jefferson quickly ran Whitney’s promethods to make it easier and faster by machine. posal through Congress, and the weapons were • His resulting brainchild was a simple device immediately in mass production and battle ready. consisting of a roller with a slotted pod holder, and a drum with teeth which could quickly claw • The cotton crop in America by then had increased by more than a thousandfold, and by the time the cotton bolls away from the pods with a turn of Whitneyʼs death in 1825, the production rate of a crank. His simple invention revolutionized was even greater. But more far-reaching than his the entire cotton industry. cotton gin invention itself was his discovery that • After some refinements, he increased the size and any mechanical device could be mass produced, efficiency with a much larger version connected to thus opening the way for the assembly lines that a power source that was belt-driven, using either have shaped modern industry worldwide.  horses on treadmills, water wheels, or steam.

• Another genius of his invention was that construction of every cotton gin was identical. .

This meant that worn or broken parts could simply be replaced rather than scrapping the entire machine. He was the first inventor to include interchangeable parts in a mechanical device.

1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a male duck called?

2. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “Pride and Prejudice”?

3. ASTRONOMY: In which constellation are the gas and dust clouds called the Pillars of Creation located?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president died at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia?

5. MOVIES: Which 1999 movie features a character named Neo? 6. MEDICAL: Which part of the human body is affected by Bright’s Disease?

7. TELEVISION: In which state is the sitcom “Newhart” set?

8. GEOGRAPHY: What is the tallest mountain in Africa?

9. HISTORY: Which politician made the phrase “Iron Curtain” famous in a speech about eastern Europe?

10. U.S. STATES: What is the capital of South Dakota?

Answers (Trivia Test answers page 16) 1. A drake.

2. Jane Austen.

3. Serpens.

• With patent in hand, Whitney began producing and leasing the gins throughout the South. But Georgia plantation owners objected having to pay his leasing fees. They resented having anyone else make money from their crops, even though they themselves were meanwhile amassing riches from the backs of their slaves.

• To avoid the leasing costs, farmers stole

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Week of October 29, 2023

Macy's Day Parade (from page one)

• Named after early partner Rowland Macy,

Macy’s Department Store had prospered during the Civil War and had since become a nationwide chain of outlets. In 1924, Macy’s flagship location on Herald Square in New York City became the largest freestanding store in the world, taking up an entire city block.

PARADE PREMIER

• The first Macy’s Day Parade took place that same year. About 150 store employees marched to Macy's flagship store at Herald Square, all dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats, professional bands and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The marchers followed a mile-long route lined with over 250,000 enthusiastic spectators.

• The long entourage ended at Macy’s main entrance on 34th Street, with Santa Claus bringing up the rear. Santa was welcomed into Herald Square with great fanfare and was crowned “King of the Kiddies.” He was enthroned on an ornate seat upon the balcony overlooking the store entrance. Fans and followers eagerly flocked inside.

had to be filled with helium, requiring them to be held down with tethers.

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All Though Rights Reserved the balloons

seem feather-light when making their way down the parade route, they are quite heavy and unwieldly when deflated. The heaviest balloon is SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary, weighing almost half a ton, requiring special transporting equipment just to haul it to the parade site.

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• The only years when the parade was canceled were the war years 1942-1944 when both rubber and helium were in short supply.

• The parade’s popularity got a big boost when the 1947 blockbuster hit film “Miracle on 34th Street” featured actual footage of the parade, and Santa waving from the balcony over Macy’s 34th Street entrance. The following year the parade was televised for the first time. It has attracted ever-increasing nationwide viewership since.

3:30PM

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balloon, it only takes about 15 minutes to deflate them. The escaping helium is not recaptured during deflation, but harmlessly escapes into the atmosphere.

• Between 1929 and 1931, the massive balloons were released at the end of the parade route and allowed to simply fly away. The helium- • In 1989, New York City had its first white Thanksgiving in 51 years. Central Park received filled spectacles often stayed aloft for up to ten 4.4 inches of snow, a record amount for that day. days, returning to earth many miles away. A tag Still, nearly two million people turned out for the attached entitled the bearer of the remains to parade, undaunted. redeem a reward at Macy’s, usually in the form of a gift certificate. This idea was scrapped when EXPENSIVE ENTERTAINMENT one landed in the East River, another drifted out • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become to sea, and another wrapped around an airplane the biggest and most expensive annual parade in wing causing it to go into a tailspin. Today the the world. The cost of producing the parade is balloons are outfitted with deflation valves and upwards of $14 million per year, and rising, and stored in a large warehouse in nearby New Jersey, Macy's Day Parade: Turn to page 15 along with all the other parade accoutrements.

• The event was so successful that the director soon BALLOONING BEHEMOTHS announced that a larger and even more exciting ADVERTISING PROOF parade would be held the following year.

• Just how big are the modern balloons? Kermit Mon., July 24, 2023 Frog holds 5,220 cubic feet of helium, al Changes DUE: 5:00thep.m..

BIGGER AND BETTER enough fill 10,440 average-size 18-inch Mylar carefully.

Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Macy’s Spelling  Prices to Hours • In 1927, a puppeteer was hired to design balloons. The arm on the Red Mighty Morphin store-front window immediately displays. With help of your Tidbits representative withthe changes or corrections.

Power Ranger was the size of a school bus. If Goodyear email: Tire &valleybits@msn.com Rubber Company, he also 60-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 the Kool-Aid Man was full of the sweet drink, created colorful animal-shaped rubber balloons it would be over 10,000 gallons worth. Four for the parade. They were filled with air and store million crescent rolls could be made from the Construction employeesMike held Pendley them high above the crowds 54-foot-tall Pillsbury Doughboy if the boy was pg, BW, using long16th sticks.

The 6x balloon animals soon really made of dough.

July 30, 2023 • Vol. 19 - No.increasing 31 became a main attraction, gradually in size and with various themes. The giant • The most popular balloon has been the Peanuts character Snoopy, who first appeared in the 1968 balloons became more elaborate and eventually parade. Since then, Snoopy has enjoyed eight different re-designs and has participated in 42 parades, more than any other character. When I do it ALL. a poll for “favorite balloon” was held after the No job too 2022 parade, Snoopy garnered 93% of the vote. small.

Since 2002 • The helium used in the balloons comes from the world’s second-largest helium plant, located Curbless Shower Specialist ADVERTISING PROOF in Otis, Kansas. The gas is purified and then Vanities • Countertops Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. compressed into giant high-pressure tubes Custom Showers • Tile Work which are shipped to New York City on semiCreative Design trucks. Specialized lines the size of fire hoses Lighting • Storage • Dry Wall  are fitted with nozzles that fill each balloon.

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Page 3

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QUIZ BITS 1. The coldest parade took place in 2018 during what freezing temperature?

2. The warmest Thanksgiving parade was in 1933, at what temperature?

(Answers page 16)

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Page 4

Everyday CHEAPSKATE

®

by Mary Hunt

By Lucie Winborne

* In a survey of hundreds of Oreo cookie eaters, Kraft Foods came to the conclusion that biters were easygoing and self-confident; dunkers displayed a more energetic and adventurous side; and twisters leaned toward the sensitive and trendy. * The average person spends 38 days brushing their teeth during their lifetime. * Not only does the moon have its own time zones, but an astronomer designed a watch relying on “lunations,” the amount of time it takes for the moon to revolve and rotate around the earth. * The “Trembling Giant” in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest includes over 47,000 quaking aspen trees that share the same root system. * An hour of drumming will burn between 400-600 calories. That’s more than hiking or weightlifting. * The oldest known prosthetic wear, a toe made primarily of wood and bound with leather thread, possibly dating to 950 B.C., was discovered on the mummified body of an Egyptian noblewoman in Cairo in 2000. * Male Hercules beetles possess an elongated horn that can surpass their body length. * Stanford University’s English department offers a course titled “The Last Great American Songwriter: Storytelling with Taylor Swift Through the Eras,” in which students analyze Swift’s albums and draw connections between her lyrics and classic literature. * Only four words in the English language end in “dous.” * Cambodian bamboo trains are made of an electric generator and a makeshift bamboo platform for seating and run at speeds of up to 40 km per hour. While unmaintained tracks do indeed make for some bumpy rides, at least the fares are low. *** Thought for the Day: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” -- Suzy Kassem (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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11-30-23

12 Improvements That Will Improve Your Home’s Selling Price

Everyday Selling soon? You’re about to learn that when itCHEAPSKATE comes to selling a house, you can judge a book by its cover. Some call it curb appeal. I ®

by Mary Hunt call it the little things that get potential buyers through the front door, and that’s what matters most.

If you have a limited budget -- and these days, who doesn’t? -- here are 12 home improvement tips to help you sell your house at, or as close to your asking price as possible. Money spent here is an investment with a good return!

No. 1: Refresh the landscape. Spread new mulch in flower beds and around the base of trees. Lay down new sod; swap out failing bushes with fresh ones. Introduce color, either in the flower beds or with potted flowers. Even a small touch can make a big difference in a buyer's first impression of your property.

No. 2: Spruce up the entrance. Invest in a new front door or give the current one a fresh coat of paint. If you have a porch, make sure it's immaculately clean. If your house number and mailbox appear worn, replace them.

No. 3: Swap your light fixtures and plumbing fixtures. If yours are no longer in style, change them out. Let your local home improvement store be your guide for what is most popular now. Updating old ceiling lights and bathroom faucets can give your home a modern look without breaking the bank.

No. 4: Clarify space to clear up confusion. Make sure to fix any areas that might leave potential buyers puzzled. If you have an unusual alcove, consider adding a desk or a dresser to show how the space can be utilized most effectively. Many homes have quirks or issues that can be fixed visually, so don’t leave potential buyers wondering, or worse - doubtful.

Vol. IXX Issue No. 44

think about getting a new vanity and updating the current bathtub’s appearance. In the kitchen, keep the existing cabinets but swap out the countertops and hardware.

No. 8: Revert rooms to their original purposes. If your dining room has become an office, convert it back to a dining room. If your third bedroom serves as an office, transform it back into a bedroom. You can still showcase a photo of the room’s alternative potential use.

No. 9: Replace the stained or shabby carpet. You can attempt cleaning it initially, but buyers are usually put off by dirty carpets. In certain situations, it’s more advantageous to remove the carpet if it’s covering up hardwood.

No. 10: Remove personal touches. This involves storing family photos and clearing the refrigerator of children’s drawings (and any other personal items). You want prospective buyers to imagine their own family living in the house.

No. 11: Clean meticulously. Give the entire house a thorough cleaning before listing it to make everything sparkle. And don’t forget to clean the windows!

No. 12: Repaint. While your daughter may adore her pink room, potential buyers won’t.

Choose neutral colors for all rooms. A fresh coat of paint also gives the house a more contemporary and updated appearance. Your home should look to the buyer as clean, neat and fresh as when first entering a nice hotel room.

It goes without saying, but let me say it anyway: You won’t get a second chance to make a first impression!

* * * Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate. com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

No. 5: Remove the popcorn ceiling. This once-popular decorating fad is long gone, and most folks now abhor this dust-collecting ceiling style. But be cautious because those in homes built before 1979 may contain asbestos. This isn’t a DIY task, so you should hire a licensed professional to handle it. For newer ceilings, you can wet and scrape them. Alternatively, if the ceilings are high enough, consider placing drywall over them to create a new ceiling surface.

No. 6: Take down window treatments, unless they’re modern and of high quality. This reduces the chance of discouraging potential buyers with different tastes. Uncovered windows also allow more natural light into the rooms. You can’t predict what buyers prefer when it comes to window coverings. If you have a contract, you can always offer the window treatments you removed.

No. 7: Opt for partial renovations. Instead of completely overhauling an outdated bathroom,

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• Once Barney was completely deflated, crews hastily rolled up the empty skin, making way for the rest of the parade to proceed. After all, the show must go on!

Article #5

THE DEATH OF BARNEY Though normally a happy and jubilant occasion, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has actually had its moments of heartbreak and disaster. One such event occured in 1997, as thousands witnessed the tragic demise of Barney, the beloved purple dinosaur.

• The winds on the day of the 71st annual Macy’s Parade had begun to pick up strength, and the tall buildings surrounding Times Square created a canyon-like funnel effect that began to blow strong gusts whistling through at up to 43 mph.

• When the rope crews handling the giant 58-foottall Barney balloon arrived at 51st Street, they suddenly found themselves battling winds so strong it was all they could do just to hang onto the ropes without being carried off the ground.

Some of the handlers grouped together to add weight, but were helplessly dragged to and fro across the pavement while trying hold control.

Page 5

Live Life Live Life

Fullest to the

• Barney’s handlers then rushed to assist with other balloons in distress because of the wind.

The Pink Panther succumbed to injuries incurred by a similar collision with a streetlight at 42nd Street, and both the Nestles Quik Bunny and the Cat in the Hat were deflated and removed after suffering similar damages at 36th Street. The Cat inDr. theNicolas Hat collided with a lamppost at the Campos corner1/3 of page, 72nd Street and Central Park West, BW, 13x snapping the metal post in half, seriously 10-29-2023 Vol. 19 - which No. 44 injured several spectators when it fell.

with

Nicolas Campos D.C.

Can Chiropractic Avoid FINAL APPROVED BY DR. CAMPOS: the Need for Surgery?

9/1/2023 DEAR DR. CAMPOS: I am a man in my mid-60s who has been seeing chiropractors my whole life. My right shoulder started hurting. I had no injury leading to the shoulder pain; it just came on one day and got worse over time. I went to the chiropractor, and he put electrodes on my shoulder and adjusted my neck, but my shoulder still hurts today, especially if I sleep on my side. Will I need surgery to fix the problem? – K.O.

• An observer who had filmed the entire Barney incident from an eighth-story window posted the clip on YouTube, which quickly went viral.

• Fortunately, Barney was resurrected in time for the parade the following year, and was eventually joined by Baby Bop, his little sister. Barney continued his big purple parade career until being permanently retired after his final performance in 2005. Since then, Barney has appeared in a much smaller presence, now as an inflatable costume worn by a single human riding on a float.

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Answer: Dear K.O. – I am pleased you have been utilizing chiropractic throughout your lifetime – you have gotten to experience the miraculous healing ability of your body • Following the “Great Balloon Massacre” of through spinal realignment. But not all mus• As they fought to steady the balloon, the sixculoskeletal conditions are the same, and the 1997, new safety measures are now in place in shoulders are prime examples of structures story-tall Barney began swinging wildly back order to prevent such balloon incidents from that may need a different approach. and forth, lurching forward and then backwards. re-occuring. Balloons must now be attached The shoulders are regions of high Collective gasps and cheers erupted from the to a heavy tractor or a truck both fore and aft. mobility – we need a large range of motion to thousands of onlookers crowding the streets as No balloons are allowed taller than 70 feet in carry out all our shoulder movements. Shoulthe drama played out before their eyes. height, 78 feet in length, or 40 feet in width. ders sacrifice stability to increase mobility.

In other words, the shoulders are prone to Many of the balloons that couldn’t meet these • Suddenly in an abrupt sideways swing, Barney instability and thus need strengthening. It is restrictions were retired. The largest balloons, collided with with a streetlight, fatally puncturing his not uncommon for people with weak/unstable Bunny, The Pink Panther, Betty Prices right side. Helium rushed outreview as the gash continued Please carefully.

Doubleincluding check: Bugs  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Hours shoulders to develop gradual yet progressive Boop, Woody Woodpecker, and Bart Simpson, to tear. Barney slowly sagged to the ground, rolling pain. your Tidbits immediately changes or corrections. Different shoulder conditions require have now been barred fromwith the event. on the pavement as dozens Contact of crew members jumped representative different treatments, and many ARE treatable. on trying to speed the deflation. adults • Inemail: Office:Astonished 760-320-0997 valleybits@msn.com spite of the new regulations, anotherFax: wind-760-320-1630 Monday, 10/16/23 So, I would have your shoulders evaluated comforted their crying children as wide-eyed news driven incident, this time involving the M&M and maybe try a conservative approach first, Please review carefully.

Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours crews watched the catastrophic event unfold. balloon in 2005, prompted prohibitions against like rehab exercises. Not every chiropractor all balloonswith if sustained wind speeds on parade your Tidbits representative immediately changes or corrections.

• But at this point, Contact only Barney’s mid-section was handles these types of conditions, but we do day top 23 mph, or have gusts greater than 34 deflating. His head and extremities were still in my office, so if you are in the Coachella ValOffice: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 mph.

There have been no balloon tragedies ley, I would be happy to look at your shoulder. full blown and continued to thrash dangerously

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DEAR DR. CAMPOS: I have noticed that different chiropractors use different methods. Not all of them adjust you. Some use tools and some just touch points on your body. I have been to chiropractors who have helped me and others who have not. Why are they so different? – S.G.

Office: 760-320-0997

since.  about in the gusty wind. More handlers jumped O.R.D. General Contractors on the slowly-shrinking Barney in a deseperate 1/12 pg., Full Color effort to hasten its collapse. NYC police officers October 22, 2023 • Volume 19: #43 assisted by stabbing and tearing gashes in his arms, legs, and his ever-grinning head to help release the trapped helium. Reports stated that several handlers were nearly suffocated beneath the heavy mound of collapsed fabric, while A)another handler was knocked unconscious.

B)

12: PM

Answer: Greetings S.G. – Yes, the chiropractic profession in most states has a wide scope of practice, which essentially means that chiropractors can do many things – adjust the spine, myofascial (muscle) release, injury rehabilitation, physiotherapy, TMJ Finest Quality Kitchen and Bath Cabinets in the Finest Quality Kitchen and Bath Cabinets in the therapy, among many others. This is great for Valley at UNBEATABLE PRICES! GUARANTEED. Valley at UNBEATABLE PRICES! GUARANTEED. chiropractors, as it allows them to practice in a way that inspires them, using techniques they GET believe in and are driven to learn.

INSPIRED! The downside is that it can be a bit confusing for the public. So, my advice is to feel VISIT OUR STARTING STARTING STARTING AT AT STARTING AT AT free to contact any chiropractic office you are NEW considering and speak directly to the doctor.

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***

Dr. Campos is a Cranial and Sports Chiropractic Doctor in Palm Desert. While he cannot answer every individual question via email, he will choose one or two each week to answer here. Readers may email questions to

OfficeCamposCranial@gmail.com Learn more at:

Dr NickCampos.com or call (760) 359-8838

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Page 6

by Dana Jackson King Features News Syndicate

Q: I read that Martin Scorsese’s new movie is more than three hours long. Will it have an intermission? What is the longest movie ever made anyway? -- K.K. A: Widely considered one of America’s

the series’ creator, Andy Breckman, says that he hopes to follow it up with another movie someday.

“A Monk Movie” premieres Dec. 8 on Peacock. *** Q: Is it true that Michael Caine is retiring from acting? What was his final movie?

-- B.N.

A: Yes, the acclaimed two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine is now 90 years old and is done accepting roles. He’s starred in more than 100 films and wants to end his career on a high note, having earned great reviews for his current and MON., OCT. 9 final film “The Great Escaper.” In the movie, he review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Pr A: Tony Shalhoub is soonPlease returning to his plays a nursing home resident who breaks out to attend representative the 70th anniversary of the with D-Day landings three-time Emmy-winning role of Detective Adrian Contact your Tidbits immediately changes or corre at Normandy.

Monk, but in the form of a movie, not aOffice: new series.

760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760However, Caine isn’t done exploring art.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” reunites the cast for the first time since the series ended in He’s written his first work of fiction, a thriller called 2009. Returning are Ted Levine as Leland, Jason “Deadly Game,” and plans to keep writing. “Deadly Gray-Stanford as Randy and Traylor Howard as Game” will be released on Amazon and in stores on 23.

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1. Split ................................ (PG-13) (PG-13) Taylor Swift, Amanda Balen James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy 2. The Exorcist: Believer 2. Rings ...............................

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Aron von Andrian, Amelia(R) Milla EveJovovich, Iain Glen 7. Sing .......................................(PG) 7. A Haunting in Venice animated (PG-13) Kenneth Branagh, Michelle 8. Lion Yeoh ................................ (PG-13) Dev Nicole 8. Patel, The Nun II Kidman (R) Taissa Jonas 9. The SpaceFarmiga, Between UsBloquet .. (PG-13) 9.

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greatest film directors, Martin Scorsese is known for making films that are anything but short. His latest release, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” clocks in at three hours and 26 minutes, and he makes no apologies for not having an intermission. He recently told the Hindustan Times that if viewers at home “can sit in front of the TV and watch Director Martin Scorsese something for five (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) hours,” people can sit and watch a movie in theaters for more than three hours.

However, he doesn’t mention that many Broadway plays and musicals do include intermissions, and those who prefer the couch to their local moviehouse have the option to hit pause for a bathroom break. But if “Killers of the Flower Moon” turns out to be as great as the initial reviews are stating, you won’t want to take a break, even if your bladder has other ideas.

According to Guinness World Records, the longest film ever made is the aptly titled “The Cure for Insomnia,” an 85-hour experimental movie that was released in 1987. Before that film, 1963’s “Cleopatra,” starring Elizabeth Taylor, premiered

at four hours and three minutes, but was then edited down to three hours and four minutes.

When “Titanic” came out in 1997, the debate about intermissions was brought up. Director James Cameron didn’t seem concerned, though, and even went beyond that length last year with his film “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which audiences flocked to see despite it being three hours and 12 minutes. *** Q: Is it true that “Monk” is coming back? Will it still have the same cast and, obviously, Tony Shalhoub? -- L.S.

Vol. IXX Issue No. 44

Week of October 29, 2023

Good Recipes from

Asparagus With Lemon Cream Proudly serve this dish as part of a brunch spread or as a side.

Family-Friendly Meatball Stroganoff 8 ounces wide egg noodles 1 pound lean (90 percent) ground beef 12 saltine crackers, crushed 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 large egg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon paprika 1 can (14 to 14½ ounces) chicken broth 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1. Heat covered 4-quart saucepan of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add noodles and cook as label directs.

2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine beef, saltines, onion, egg, salt and 3 tablespoons water just until blended; shape into 16 meatballs.

3. Heat nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add meatballs and cook 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center, turning frequently to brown. Transfer meatballs to plate.

4. Stir flour and paprika into drippings in pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring. Stir in broth; boil 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low.

Stir in sour cream. Return meatballs to pan; heat through.

5. Drain noodles. Spoon meatball mixture over noodles to serve. Serves 4.  Each serving: About 560 calories, 22g total fat (9g saturated), 36g protein, 52g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 190mg cholesterol, 865mg sodium.

TIP: As an accompaniment, toss 1 pound green beans or Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and roast at 450 F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Page 7

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Salt Pepper 2 pounds asparagus 1 lemon 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

Whisk in sour cream, heavy cream and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 3 days.

4. Spoon sauce over asparagus and garnish with chives. Makes 6 servings. * * *

For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our Web site at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/. (c) 2023 Hearst Communications, Inc.

1. Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling on high. Fill large bowl with ice and water.

2. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then asparagus, to boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 4 minutes or until bright green and a knife pierces easily through stalks. With tongs, transfer directly to bowl of ice water. When asparagus is cool, drain well; roll between paper towels to dry completely.

Asparagus can be refrigerated in airtight container or resealable plastic bag up to overnight.

3. From lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into small bowl.

Coachella Valley Business Owners

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Page 8

AdVenture Media, Inc. c/o Kenneth Kim 1/8 pg 4C T.F. of Coachella Sept. 17, 2023 Tidbits - Vol. 19 - No. 38 Valley

Vol. IXX Issue No. 44

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NEST HEADS

By John Allen

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Tidbits® of Coachella Valley Published and distributed weekly by AdVenture Media, Inc. P.O. Box 4308 Palm Springs, CA 92263-4308 Phone: 760-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 Email: valleybits@msn.com www.TidbitsPalmSprings.com All rights reserved.

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Week of October 29, 2023

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Page 9

NEXT WEEK in

Cody’s

TIDBITS LOGS INTO SOME

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2.

1.

TREE STUMPS

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis Creators News Service

Howl-oween Happenings

3. The Weekly “Brain Breaker”

Halloween traditionally belongs to humans.

But more and more humans don’t want to exclude their pups from what often remains a favorite holiday long past the age of trick-or-treating. These days, Halloween is less “hallow,” more “howl.”

Participants in last year’s Halloween Dog Parade and Costume Contest at the Tompkins Square dog run in NYC included a bulldog dressed as Mr. T, another bulldog dressed as Bjork in the Swan Dress, and Benny the Boxer as Butthead -just picture it. Best In Show went to a beagle mix named Maddie, who gave a fantastic performance as E.T. Over on the other side of the country, Long Beach, CA -- selected by Dog Fancy magazine as one of the nation’s dog-friendliest cities -- hosts the annual Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade and costume contest, the largest of its kind in the United States.

And when it comes to parties, The Big Easy is not to be overlooked. New Orleans is home to the Howl-O-Weenie Pet and Pal Parade, featuring costume contest, on-site dog training demos and a Q and A with a vet.

You’ll find more of the same and then some in cities and towns across the country.

The good news is today’s dog has options beyond remaining housebound on Halloween.

Even so, he might be better off keeping his paws firmly planted on familiar territory. This year, regardless of whether your dog stays home or swings through town on a wrecking ball dressed as Miley Cyrus, keep in mind the following tips to keep your beloved furball safe: --ID tags and microchips, please! Should your pooch veer from the parade route or dart through the front door on the heels of some wicked trick-or-treaters, you want him to be identifiable.

--Use the leash. Again, home or not, the leash is your friend and your tool. Keep him on one, even inside your home if you find that you’re on a high-traffic trick-or-treat route.

--Wag the candle. Tails and open flame don’t mix and should never mingle. Keep candles out of

10/29 World Stroke Awareness Day 10/30 Create a Checklist Day 10/31 Halloween

Print Your Answers Here:

11/1

All Saints Day

11/2

Pumpkin Destruction Day

11/3

Sausage and Kraut Day

11/4

Use Your Common Sense Day

Wuzzles solution Page 16

Tidbits® Word Search

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Page 10

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles © King Features Synd., Inc.

Social Security Increase for 2024 The 3.2% Social Security increase for 2024 is higher than it has averaged over the past two decades, but it certainly is nowhere near the 8.7% increase we received for 2023.

This 2024 increase will mean $58 more per month for those receiving the average benefit in 2023. Out of that $58, we’ll pay an additional $10 for Medicare Part B. How do they get these increase numbers every year? They get them by comparing this year’s third quarter to that of the previous year and do a cost of living adjustment (COLA) based on that. They also use the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) to calculate what they call a “basket of goods and services.”

Therein lies our problem. While that index is no doubt useful for those who have to set financial policy for the entire country, the CPI-W index they use to calculate our Social Security benefit isn’t geared to seniors. Instead, that index is geared toward blue collar (hourly) wage

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

earners for 200 items. It is then broken down into eight groups: medical care, housing, food and beverage, transportation, housing, apparel, education and communication, and other goods and services.

You can see immediately why that doesn’t work for seniors. We have vastly different medical care expenses, approximately double those in the younger age brackets. Our housing costs are not the same. Transportation isn’t the same, and neither are apparel, education -- or any of the others.

Another price index, however, the Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 years of age and older (R-CPI-E), considers the differences between the two groups ... but they still don’t use the “E” index to calculate our qualifications for Social Security payment amounts.

Why is that, we wonder? This doesn't seem quite equitable.

It's a valid question, and l'lI bet our representatives and senators in Congress may be able to anwer this if we call them. Call the U.S. House switchboard operator at (202) 224-3121 for the phone number to your representative. * * Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 44

Cody’s Corner (from page 9) reach of canines -- and that goes for candle-lit jacko’-lanterns, too.

--No treats. By that I mean no human candy treats. It’s as important to keep those candy wrappers away from Rover as it is to prevent the ingestion of the candy itself. Chocolate and xylitol are toxic to dogs and can be fatal in some circumstances. Don’t take any chances. Keep the goodies for the kiddies out of reach.

--Ditto for cords. Keep electrical cords from the jaws of dogs. The reasons are obvious.

--Be costume conscious. Only put your dog in a costume if he’s clearly into the idea. If he appears terrified or tortured at the notion, leave him to his birthday suit. And of course, any costume you outfit him in must allow him to see, hear, move, bark and breathe normally. No restrictions of any kind. Also check to be sure there are no chewable parts accessible to your dog and that it is flameretardant.

Happy Howl-oween!

Woof!

* * *

Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis is the co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and the host of the PBS series “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com.

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Autumn is also synonymous with open-air flea markets. Some offer great food, others tasty vegetables and fashions from thrift stores or clothing markets where we find the best seasonal looks. But flea markets and antique markets have something else quite special.

Vintage items and antiques convey something more to interiors than other accessories. Thanks to the history behind an item and the patina or the natural wear, a great find brings something special to a home or project. We can all agree that an antique or an unusual accessory can bring personality or wow factor to a home. Many dealers and lovers of markets travel the world for the experience alone -- and of course, a good buy.

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202

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There’s a little something for everyone, no matter where you go. Because markets are Wright Advice usually filled with things of the past, almost no 1/12 pg BW 26x disc. rate one can escape the feelings stirred up by things October 1, 2023 Vol. 19 - No. 40 that you grew up with ... even items that are nowcarefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  P Please review obsolete. There is something inspirational and Contact representative immediately with changes or cor personally touching to see when visiting a mar-your Tidbits Are youemail: aware and ready for theFax: 760 Office: valleybits@msn.com ket. Of course, you don’t want your home itself 760-320-0997 to appear like a flea market, so here are a few tips on how to incorporate those special finds: -- Repurposing is the first WI N 2 tip. A vintage china cabinet can easily be transformed RD into a bookcase by changing ETHICS AWA glass shelves to wood.

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Week of October 29, 2023

YOUR

SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

Social Security COLA for 2024 In mid-October every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on changes (usually increases) to the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. Why is this little, esoteric government report -- actually called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers -- so popular? Because for the past 49 years, it’s the report that determines the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that Social Security beneficiaries will get the following year.

Because my column has a long lead time, what I am reporting here isn’t news to most of my readers. As I’m sure you already heard, all 66 million Social Security beneficiaries’ checks are going up 3.2% in 2024.

I always dread mentioning COLAs in this column because every single time I do, I am flooded with emails from readers complaining that the increase is not enough.

Yet here’s the rub: Many economists and social planners believe Social Security COLAs are too generous! (I’ve explained why in past columns, but don’t have the space to get into that argument today.) That’s why most discussions of long-range reform for Social Security include proposals to reduce cost of living increases.

OK, back to the 2024 Social Security COLA. Due to these increases, the average monthly retirement check will be $1,907 in 2024, a $59 increase from the 2023 level. The maximum Social Security check for a worker turning full retirement age in 2024 will be $3,822, compared to $3,627 in 2023.

And please note that $3,822 is the maximum for someone turning full retirement age in 2024. That does not mean it is the maximum Social Security payment anyone can receive. There are millions of Social Security beneficiaries who get much more than that, primarily because they worked well past their FRA and/or delayed starting their benefits until age 70.

Here’s another important point about the COLA. Many readers have been asking me if they must file for Social Security benefits in 2023 in order to get the COLA that’s paid in January 2024.

The answer is no. The COLA will be built into the benefit computation formula. So even if you don’t file for Social Security until next year, or some subsequent year, you’ll still get the 3.2% increase.

Although this is a Social Security column, I must mention the upcoming increase in the Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from Social Security checks for most people. In 2024, the basic Part B premium is projected to be $179.80.

That’s $14.90 more than the 2023 rate. And as has been the case for 20 years now, wealthy people will pay more than the basic premium.

I don’t want to get into the complicated issue of Medicare premiums other than to make this quick point. Even though they are linked in the minds of most senior citizens, Social Security and Medicare are entirely separate programs, administered by entirely separate federal agencies, and they have entirely separate rules and regulations regarding their benefit and payment structures.

For example, I already explained how Social Security COLAs are figured. The Part B Medicare pre-

Page 11

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

mium increase has nothing to do with the Bureau of Labor’s consumer price index. Instead, by law, it must be set at a level that covers 25% of the cost of running the program. Taxpayers pick up the remaining 75%. (And again, wealthy people pay more than the 25% share.)

Another measuring stick called the “national wage index” is used to set increases to other provisions of the law that affect Social Security beneficiaries and taxpayers. Specifically, this includes increases in the amount of wages or selfemployment income subject to Social Security tax; the amount of income needed to earn a “quarter of coverage”; and the Social Security earnings penalty limits.

The Social Security taxable earnings base will go up from $160,200 in 2023 to $168,600 in 2024. In other words, people who earn more than $168,600 in 2024 will no longer have Social Security payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks once they hit that threshold. This has always been a very controversial provision of the law. (Bill Gates pays the same amount of Social Security tax as his plumber!) I think it’s a pretty good bet that any eventual Social Security reform package will include an increase in that wage base.

Most people need 40 Social Security work credits (sometimes called “quarters of coverage”) to be eligible for monthly benefit checks from the system. In 2023, people who were working earned one credit for each $1,640 in Social Security taxable income. But no one earns more than four credits per year. In other words, once you made $6,560, your Social Security record has been credited with the maximum four credits or quarters of coverage. In 2024, the one credit limit goes up to $1,730, meaning you will have to earn $6,920 this coming year before you get the maximum four credits assigned to your Social Security account.

People under their full retirement age who

get Social Security retirement or survivor’s benefits but who are still working are subject to limits in the amount of money they can earn and still receive all their Social Security checks. That limit was $21,240 in 2023 and will be $22,320 in 2024. For every two dollars a person earns over those limits, one dollar is withheld from his or her monthly benefits.

There is a higher earnings threshold in the year a person turns full retirement age that applies from the beginning of the year until the month the person reaches FRA. (The income penalty goes away once a person reaches that magic age.) That threshold goes up from $56,520 in 2023 to $59,520 in 2024.

A couple other Social Security provisions are also impacted by inflationary increases. For example, people getting disability benefits who try to work can generally continue getting those benefits as long as they are not working at a “substantial” level. In 2023, the law defined substantial work as any job paying $1,470 or more per month. In 2024, that substantial earnings level increases to $1,550 monthly.

Finally, the Supplemental Security Income basic federal payment level for one person goes up from $914 in 2023 to $943 in 2024. SSI is a federal welfare program administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is not a Social Security benefit. It is paid for out of general revenues, not Social Security taxes.

* * * If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easyto-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

CLIP AND SAVE

1. The book of Acts is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither

11-30-23

2. What companion of Paul was commended for his holy scripture knowledge since childhood? a) Timothy b) Barnabus c) Jude d) Simeon

11-30-23

3. From 1 John 4:8, "He that loveth not knowest not God; for God is ______ ? a) Holy b) Omnipresent c) Love d) Forever faithful 4. What king unwittingly signed a decree causing Daniel to be thrown into the lions' den? a) Nebuchadnezzar b) Darius c) Ahab d) Elah 5. Because Moses was standing on holy ground, what did God tell him to remove? a) Cloak b) Sword c) Armor d) Sandals 6. In Judges 16, who said, "Let me die with the Philistines"? a) David b) Micah c) Samson d) Saul Sharpen your understanding of scripture with Wilson Casey's latest book, "Test Your Bible Knowledge," now available in stores and online.

(Answers on page 16) For comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com 2019 King Features Synd., Inc. Inc. ©© 2023

Page 12

Tidbits of Coachella Valley heel of my right foot is causing more problems when I walk. Is there any medical procedure to help? -- W.T.

M.D.

Imbruvica Shouldn’t Be Withheld Long Before or After Procedures DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 75 and have had Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia for three years, which has been treated with ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and is now in remission.

A side effect of Imbruvica is bleeding, and it requires the drug to be withheld before procedures.

I need a colonoscopy and a prostate biopsy now. Ideally, how long before and after the procedures should Imbruvica be withheld? If the procedures cannot be performed a day apart, how long is too long an interval between them? How often can Imbruvica be withheld?

Also, at my age, how long is the recovery period required for anesthesia when undergoing two separate procedures? -- T. ANSWER: Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a rare disease -- a type of blood lymphoma and a cancer of the bone marrow. Ibrutinib is a new effective treatment for many people who have this condition and sustain remissions from the disease.

As you correctly say, bleeding can be a problem with this medicine, and it is generally held for three to seven days before and after surgery (depending on the type of procedure and the risk involved).

Because a prostate biopsy is a low-risk procedure and a colonoscopy has almost no risk (unless a biopsy is required, then making it a low-risk procedure), most experts would only hold the medication for three days before and after the procedure.

There have been reports of the disease flaring up when withholding the drug, so as little time as possible is the best answer of how long it should be withheld. If you can get the two procedures done within a few days of each other, that would seem reasonable to me, but it is your hematologist whose clinical judgment is required. It would be ideal to coordinate the two procedures.

In my opinion, even a day in between procedures is safe from the standpoint of anesthesia risk. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 85 and in reasonably good health. I have been an athlete for most of my life. I developed neuropathy of my feet approximately seven years ago after my back surgery, but now I am to the point where I have difficulty walking. My doctor said I have persistent spinal stenosis with no cure.

My feet are now mostly numb, and the

PonderBits No matter how much you liked the soap, never walk out of a public bathroom smelling your fingers What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

ANSWER: “Neuropathy” is a term used to describe a syndrome of nerve damage, which can stem from dozens of different causes.

Sometimes no cause is found. In your case, the neuropathy may be due to pressure on the nerve roots from your spinal stenosis, which means that the bone canals the nerves go through once they leave the spinal cord are too small.

There are treatments, starting with surgery, to relieve pressure on the nerves, which provides some, but usually only temporary relief.

Surgery is not appropriate for everyone, either because of their back anatomy or because they aren’t good candidates for surgery due to other reasons.

Physical therapy can be helpful for some people. Medications are also helpful, but they can only relieve the pain, not the numbness.

Medicines that are more specific for nerve pain, such as gabapentin or amitriptyline, are usually more effective than opiate-type medications in

the long-term.

* * *

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. (c) 2023 North America Synd., Inc.

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 44

VETERANS  POST 

by Freddie Groves

A Pledge for Improved Health Care The Department of Veterans Affairs has hooked up with 13 civilian health care systems with the goal of improving veteran health care, whether those veterans are getting their care in or out of the VA. The Veteran Interoperability Pledge has been made by those health care systems with agreements to exchange information and collaborate with the VA in several ways: Identify veterans when they go for civilian care, connect veterans with resources (especially ones that reduce the veteran’s expenses) and coordinate care. The information will be shared both ways.

Specifically, the VA will: -- Let the civilian health care systems into the VA system to determine a veteran’s status.

-- Automate the process of determining eligibility and referrals.

-- Let the health systems have access to health resources at the state and federal levels -- Let the health systems have access to clinical and admin data to assess and coordinate care.

I scarcely know where to begin ...

If a veteran is seeking civilian care, why? Is it because the local VA just isn’t close enough, or is it because he feels he’ll get better care at a civilian provider?

Will the veteran have a say in whether his personal information is shared with the VA after seeing a civilian provider?

A recent VA news release states that the VA will “safeguard the privacy and security” of veteran information.

Is anyone concerned about hacking? This year one health care group (of the 13 systems that have made the pledge) had a data breach of 1,600 patients. Two years ago another had a data breach that affected over a million people. Two months ago another health care system suffered a breach that affected thousands. Two months ago one had a breach that affected tens of thousands in approximately 40 states. And on and on ...

The VA’s news release added a tiny note, that they will strive to “provide proof-of-concept” in early 2024. Which means this is a trial to see if it works. * * *

Freddy Groves regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

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Week of October 29, 2023

-- by Jim Miller

Top TV Remotes for Elderly Seniors DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Can you recommend some simplified universal television remotes for seniors? My 88-year-old dad, who lives in a retirement community, has some dementia and gets confused with all the buttons on his remote. As a result, he keeps accidently reprograming his TV and it always has him frustrated. -- Searching Son Dear Searching: Most modern TV remotes – that come with dozens of unnecessary buttons – can be confusing for anyone to operate but can be especially challenging for elderly seniors. Fortunately, there are several universal TV remotes available that are specifically designed for older adults with vision, memory, or confusion issues, as well as those that are technologically challenged. These remotes have bigger buttons and paired down options that make them much easier to see and use. Here are three top choices to consider: Senior-Friendly Remotes The two most popular simplified TV remotes on the market today are the “Flipper” and the “EasyMote.” Both of these are infrared only remotes (IR) intended for those who use traditional cable/satellite boxes or their TV’s internal tuner. They are not designed for people who use streaming media devices and will not work with devices that are controlled via Bluetooth or radio frequency (RF).

Page 13

has a tapered design that makes it easy to hold, see feature if your dad has vision problems. It and for simplicity it has only six large color-coded also comes with a handy wrist strap to prevent tactile buttons that are exposed to control the misplacing the remote but can be removed anypower, mute,review volume up/down, and channel up/ check: time.

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Multi-Device Remote Contact your Tidbits representative with o Flipper also offers an optional “favorite If theimmediately Flipper or EasyMote is toochanges basic channel” feature that will let you program up to for your dad’s entertainment system, another Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax 30 of your dad’s favorite channels and eliminate simplified remote that offers the ability to control the useless channels he never watches. And it multiple devices is the “GE Big Button 2-Device has a built-in keypad hidden behind a slide-down Universal Remote” – also available at Amazon. panel. This will give your dad the ability to dicom for $9.

Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  rectly punch in a desired channel, while keeping the remote simple and uncluttered. The Flipper This IR remote has an ergonomic design Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or co c/o Melanie Property of will remote can also be locked to prevent accidental withThomas large buttons that let him control up to Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 7 AdVenture Media, Inc. reprograming.

2 audio/video components such as TV, cable/ BZ BW 26x satellite receiver, Blu-ray/DVD player, Roku box, October 8, 2023 Vol. 19 - No. 41 The other popular senior-friendly remote Apple TV and other streaming media players that’s worth a look is the EasyMote (see Easyand sound bars.

Property of Mote.us), which is available on Amazon.com AdVenture Media, Inc.

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The Flipper, which is aoftop-rated remote, Property J Arthur Law Firm AdVenture Media, Inc.cable, satellite works with all major TVs including 12th pg 4C 13x and digital TV receiver boxes. Available for $40 Sept. 3, 2023 Vol. 19 - No. 36 at FlipperRemote.com, this lightweight, remote Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com

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Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 44

tell me about my cup and saucer.

ANTIQUE -- OR -JUNQUE

by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

Secretary Multi-Tasks Q: Enclosed is a photo of an antique piece of furniture that was purchased from my great aunt’s estate in 1978. She died at age 80, and this was a wedding present given to her probably around 1920.

The cur ved-glass door, the beveled mirror, the finish, and all the hardware are original. The desktop drops down for a writing surface and it has wood shelves and a drawer.

The overall measurements are 70 inches tall, 40 inches wide and 15 inches deep. It is in excellent condition. I have been told the wood is tiger oak.

Can you give me any information about its style, the period it's from and its approximate value?

A: Blakeney Pottery Ltd. made your cup and saucer. They made earthenware in Stoke, Staffordshire, England, from 1968 to 2000.

Blakeney Pottery made flow-blue pieces around 1970 and should not be confused with the flow-blue ware made in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Original flow-blue pieces were not marked with the words “Flow Blue.”

Blakeney’s “Romantic” pattern was inspired by an early flow-blue pattern by the name of “Watteau.” There was a renewed interest in flow-blue dishes from around the 1960s to the 1980s. As a result, there were a handful of factories that produced new pieces.

Your cup and saucer are circa 1970, and the set would probably be worth $20 to $30.

Blakeney Pottery made reproductions of flowblue ware.

* * *

Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has since retired and no longer receives inquiries nor answers reader letters. Due to the popularity of her column, this publication will continue to reprint previous columns of interest to our readers.

To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

A:

You have a desk/ cabinet combination, also called a side-by-side or a secretary. It was made in the golden oak period of furniture that began in 1890 and lasted to around 1920.

Tiger oak is quarter-sawn oak, and the dis- Golden oak side-by-side was made tinctive grain of in early 1900s. the wood can be recognized by the pattern that is similar to tiger stripes.

Your side-by-side was made in the early 1900s and would probably be worth $1,300 to $1,700. *** Q: This mark is on the bottom of a cup and saucer that I have. The words “Romantic -- Flow Blue -- England” are also included with the mark. The dishes are decorated with a blue scene of a boy and girl.

I would appreciate anything you can

Puzzle Solutions

That king is so uncommonly benevolent that everybody began calling him "Your Royal Kindness."

* On Oct. 30, 1961, the Soviet Union detonated Tsar Bomba, or Big Ivan, over the Mityushikha Bay test range on the Novaya Zemlya Island in the Arctic Circle. The unique, 57-megaton nuclear bomb's flash of light was visible more than 1,000 kilometers away when it exploded at a height of 13,000 feet. * On Oct. 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi, the first female prime minister of India, was assassinated by two of her bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, while walking through the garden of her residence on the way to an interview with British actor Peter Ustinov. Her death sparked riots in India and New Delhi, where several thousand Sikhs were killed. * On Nov. 1, 1953, Canon Mervyn Stockwood, an English clergyman, returned from a trip to Russia and reported that an atheist tour guide there had claimed that Jesus was a Christian invention. Stockwood also announced that only 45 of Russia's 1,600 churches were still open. * On Nov. 2, 1990, President George Bush rallied in Ohio for the removal of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein from Kuwait without the firing of a single shot. He also promised the return of American troops "very soon." * On Nov. 3, 1838, the world's largest English-language daily newspaper was launched as a bi-weekly publication, the Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, in Bombay, India. * On Nov. 4, 1925, Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman to be elected as an American state governor, as well as the first and to date only female governor of Wyoming, following the death of her husband, William Ross, from complications of an appendectomy. In addition, she was also the first female director of the United States Mint. * On Nov. 5, 2003, Gary Ridgway, a commercial truck painter and serial killer also known as the "Green Valley Killer," pleaded guilty to killing 48 women in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2011, he further confessed to a 49th murder and was sentenced to a 49th consecutive life term in the Washington State Penitentiary. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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WINTER Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 • Between 8,000 and 10,000 people are participants TUNE-UP

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• About 3.5 million people see the parade in person, packing the streets over the 2.5-mile route. That works out to 132 spectators per foot along the route, packed in sardine style and stacked up on grandstands. Attendance at the parade is approximately equal to the entire population of Connecticut.

• Around 50 million viewers tune into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from home each year, working out to about one in every seven Americans. This makes it one of the biggest annual televised events in America. Still, the Super Bowl tops it with over 100 million viewers every January -- and with staggering ad rates.

• If you want to volunteer to work at the parade, you’re out of luck. Only city employees, Macy’s employees and their families, and employees of the corporate sponsors are allowed. 

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Game Changers

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Stricker Stiff Wrists All Rights Reserved

Steve Stricker is known on tour as one of the most passive handed (or wristed) players around the green. From his chips to his pitches, even his partial wedge shots, Steve uses his wrists very minimally when it comes to hinging them in the backstroke. If you struggle from 20-30 yards off the green from the fairway or tight lies, give Steve’s method a try.

From a narrow stance and centered ball position, play this chip with your sand wedge or gap wedge.

The key is to make the arm swing go back to around 9 o’clock while the club points mildly upward. Your wrists may feel slightly tighter than normal, as if you’re restricting the hinging action. Keep your elbows wide as if you had a volleyball in between them as well.

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Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours JasonJenkins Jenkins was was aa 16-year 16-year member member of the Jason the Jim Jim McLean McLean Golf Golf Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changesTop or 100 corrections.

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T. 257

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Issue No. 44

THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENROLL

1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a male duck called?

2. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “Pride and Prejudice”?

3. ASTRONOMY: In which constellation are the gas and dust clouds called the Pillars of Creation located?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president died at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia?

5. MOVIES: Which 1999 movie features a character named Neo? 6. MEDICAL: Which part of the human body is affected by Bright’s Disease?

7. TELEVISION: In which state is the sitcom “Newhart” set?

8. GEOGRAPHY: What is the tallest mountain in Africa?

9. HISTORY: Which politician made the phrase “Iron Curtain” famous in a speech about eastern Europe?

by Linda Thistle G O10. U.S. FSTATES: I G UWhat RisEthe!capital Answer Peeker Nazi keeps detailed dossier on violators. of South Dakota?

TRIVIA TEST The idea of Go Figure is to Answers arrive at theAnswers figures given at Answers Weekly Weekly SUDOKU SUDOKU the bottom and right-hand drake. columns 1. ofAthe diagram by fol-Answerlowing the arithmetic 2. Jane Austen. signs in the order they are given (that 3. Serpens. is, from left to right and top to Franklin bottom). 4.

Use onlyRoosevelt. the numbers below the5. diagram to complete “The Matrix.” its blank6.squares and The kidneys. use each of the nine numbers only once.

7. Vermont.

DIFFICULTY: � 8. Mount Kilimanjaro.

9. Winston�� Churchill. � Moderate Difficult ��� GO FIGURE! 10. Pierre. ©2022 2010King KingFeatures FeaturesSynd., Synd.,Inc. Inc. ©©2020 2023 © 2006 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

© 2023 2022King Features Synd., Inc.

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October 23-29, 2006

Go Figure! answers ANSWERS

Quiz Bits ANSWERS

1. Coldest 17°F 2. Warmest 69°F BIBLE TRIVIA Answers

1. (B) New testament 2. (A) Timothy 3. (C) Love 4. (B) Darius 5. (D) Sandals 6. (C) Samson

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