Vol 21: #10 • Sad Songs • (3-2-2025) Tidbits of Coachella Valley by Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Paper Ever Read"

by Janet Spencer

Many songs, serene as they sound and familiar as they may be, have behind them emotional experiences of sadness and grief expressed by the composers through their music. This week Tidbits looks at some of these songs and how their painful lyrics reveal personal stories from the writer’s past experiences.

SAD SONGS

• Ray Kovic fought in Vietnam and came home from the war in a wheelchair. After suffering the societal insults sadly shared by most Vietnam vets, Kovic wrote a book in 1976 with a strong anti-war slant called “Born on the Fourth of July.” The book was later made into a movie starring Tom Cruise as Kovic.

• In 1980, Bruce Springsteen read Kovic’s book. He later coincidentally met the author, who happened to be staying at the same hotel. They fell into conversation, and Kovic invited Springsteen to accompany him to the local veteran’s center.

• There, Springsteen heard heart-wrenching stories,

TRIVIA NEWSFRONT

(Answers on page 16)

• “Malice at the Palace” was the name given to the most notorious NBA brawl in history.

• The Indiana Pacers were facing the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 19, 2004, at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. There were only 45.9 seconds left in the final quarter of the game. The Pacers were leading 97-82.

• Pistons center Ben Wallace went in for a layup shot. Immediately behind him, Pacers small forward Ron Artest pushed him. Wallace, furious, turned around and shoved Artest in return. The two players began to fight. Their team members rushed in to intervene. Many scuffles like this happen during moments of high tension, and at first, coaches were not particularly concerned as they are over in only a few seconds.

• Officials halted the game while they gathered to decide what penalties to hand out before the game resumed. Artest, trying to calm himself, lay down on the scorer’s table. As he lay there, Ben Wallace threw a towel at him. Artest leaped to his feet, only to be held back by coaches and fellow teammates.

• Just then, a fan in the stands named John Green hit Artest in the chest with a Diet Coke can thrown from several rows up. Artest charged into the stands and grabbed the wrong guy, another fan named Michael Ryan, blaming him. Pacers players charged into the stands. More drinks were thrown, and more punches landed.

1. TELEVISION: The show “Happy Days” is a spinoff of which older sitcom?

2. LITERATURE: Which author created the character Hercule Poirot?

3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Where is Barack Obama’s presidential library located?

4. GEOGRAPHY: What river forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico?

5. ASTRONOMY: Which planet in our solar system has the strongest gravitational field?

6. U.S. STATES: Which four states intersect at the Four Corners monument?

7. SCIENCE: What is anemophily?

8. MOVIES: How much does an Oscar award trophy weigh?

9. WEATHER: What is a haboob?

10. MEASUREMENTS: How many millimeters are in a meter?

• There were only three men on security detail, none of whom were prepared to quell an allout brawl. They were quickly overwhelmed. Coaches and other officials were unable to break up the melee. Fans streamed out of the stands and onto the court as the fight spread. Someone called the police.

• Several fans were ruthless about inciting violence. One of them, Charlie Haddad, was

well-known to security for frequently causing trouble. In fact, he had been asked to leave the arena earlier that night, but he wound up staying there anyway. Haddad openly declared that he “wanted to fight an NBA player so he could sue for injury compensation.” This was his chance, and he went in swinging.

• Eventually, police officers swarmed the arena, threatening to arrest anyone who would not leave. Announcers ordered the arena cleared.

• Referees ended the game with 45.9 seconds remaining and awarded the Pacers with a 97–82 win.

• Pistons fans booed the Pacers as security escorted them from the court, throwing beverages, popcorn, and chairs as they exited. Police entered the locker room to make arrests, but Pacers team members surrounded Artest, rushing him onto the bus.

• Nine spectators were injured, and two were taken to the hospital.

• NBA officials announced the following day that nine players would be suspended. Artest was suspended for the rest of the 2004–05 season, which cost him over $5 million. Ben Wallace was suspended for six games and lost out on $400,000.

• After reviewing videos, Green and Haddad were banned, and their season tickets were revoked. Green spent 30 days in jail. Years later, fan John Green admitted he had thrown the drink at Artest after making a $50 bet with Michael Ryan that he couldn’t hit Artest. Artest charged at Ryan because he had his hands up to celebrate winning the bet.

• Tayshaun Prince of the Pistons was the only player on both teams who never left the bench during the entire melee. 

• Many think this song is an American anthem, but it is not. The lyrics outline the shameful treatment of vets and mourn the loss of those who never made it home: “Got in a little hometown jam / So they put a rifle in my hands / Sent me off to a foreign land / To go and kill the yellow man.”

released in 1991. The accompanying video featured clips from the band’s history.

• Freddie died a few months after the album came out. The band assembled one more album following his death, “Made In Heaven” released in 1995. In a poll asking people what song they would like played at their funeral, “The Show Must Go On” was at the top of the list: “My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies / Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die / I can fly, my friends / The show must go on.”

holds the record for the best-selling Christmas song and the best-selling single of all time. It’s now been recorded by more artists than any other song in the history of the recording industry.

• Robert Plant was the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. He was also a father. In 1972, his son, Karac, was born. The band was on tour in 1977. They many of which sprang from the raw treatment soldiers endured when they returned home from this unpopular war. This chance visit inspired him to write “Born in the USA.”

• After Glen Campbell received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, he wrote a song called “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” as a way of saying farewell to his wife, Kim, whom he married in 1982. He knew that, eventually, he would forget who she was, and he wanted to say goodbye while he still could. It was the last song he ever recorded. It appeared on his final album, “Adios” in 2017, and was also featured in a documentary about his life, filmed during his final tour, entitled “I’ll Be Me.”

• The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards. During the ceremony, the song was performed by Tim McGraw. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song: “You’re the last person I will love / You’re the last face I will recall / And best of all / I’m not gonna miss you.” Glen Campbell died on August 8, 2017.

• Brian May, guitarist for the band Queen, wrote a song called “The Show Must Go On.” At the time, the members of the band knew that Freddie Mercury was dying of AIDS and didn’t have much time left. When he presented the song to Freddie, May feared that the song would be too strenuous for Freddie to handle because there were quite a few high notes involved, and Freddie could barely stand up. Freddie took several swigs of vodka and nailed the notes. It was the final track on the album “Innuendo”

• Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter for the English band The Kinks, penned a memorable song in 1982 called “Come Dancing.” The happy tune had a sad story behind it. One of Davies’ older sisters married a Canadian and moved to Canada. She returned home to London to visit the family when Ray was 13 years old. She bought him a guitar he had begged for as a birthday gift. That night, she went out dancing. However, she had a weak heart due to a childhood bout with rheumatic fever. She suffered a heart attack and died on the ballroom floor. Ray Davies memorialized her with this song: “Come dancing / That’s how they did it when I was just a kid / And when they said ‘come dancing’ / My sister always did.”

"Ring Around the Rosie" is a nursery rhyme about the bubonic plague. The rosie rings referred to the red marks on the skin, a deadly indicator of its presence. Having a pocket full of herbs (posies) was supposed to ward off the illness. Bodies were cremated in burning heaps (ashes, ashes). "We all fall down!" -- everyone dies in the end.

• Noted songwriter Irving Berlin was Jewish and never celebrated Christmas. Nevertheless, he was called upon to write a Christmas song for the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn” starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. He drew from a deeply buried sense of tragedy to write a wistful and melancholy tune. His son, Irving Berlin Junior, died at the age of three weeks on Christmas Day in 1928. Berlin and his wife visited the grave every Christmas day while everyone around them was celebrating the holiday.

• Irving Berlin wanted to write a song to express what Christmas meant to a child who never had the chance to experience it. The result was “(I’m Dreaming of a) White Christmas.” The heartfelt rendition of the song, sung by Bing Crosby, was a smash hit. Berlin won his first and only Oscar for Best Original Song for this tune. The song

"Oh

the final verse he finds new love; "How I missed her, how I missed her / how I missed

my Clementine / But I kissed her little sister / I forgot my Clementine."

1. What sad song by Bill Withers repeats the words "I know" 22 times?

2. Who wrote the song "Love Story" where Romeo and Juliet end up together?

My Darlin' Clementine" is a song about a man who watches his lover drown in a river because he can't swim. However, in

By Lucie Winborne

* The Climbing Gourami is a fish that can climb out of water, breathe oxygen and even walk for short distances.

* India has 454 living languages and 16 official ones.

* During her 1982 restoration, the Statue of Liberty’s head was accidentally installed 2 feet off-center.

* General George S. Patton believed he was reincarnated from either a military leader from Napoleon’s army or a Roman legionary, claiming to have seen combat multiple times in previous lives, and also believed that after he died he would return to again lead armies onto the battlefield.

* Only deceased people can appear on American currency.

* When put under a microscope, tears produced by grief, hope or onions were unique in form from each other.

* North Korea accidentally hit one of its own cities during a 2017 failed missile test.

* In 1916, a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution would have put all acts of war to a national vote. Anyone voting “yes” would have to register as a volunteer for army service.

* Dynamite was originally going to be called “Nobel’s Safety Powder.”

* Singer James Brown was such a strict bandleader that he had signals arranged with his manager to let him know if a musician made a mistake during concerts. After a performance, band members’ errors were deducted from their paychecks.

* Ostriches are the only birds with a bladder.

* In 1872, sitting president Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over and fined $20 for exceeding the Washington speed limit ... on a horse.

***

Thought for the Day: “Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum.”

-- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

by Mary Hunt

Fun (Cheap) Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids

ent’s age. Carefully cut through the paper, photo and board along the puzzle lines. Separate the pieces, and place in a gift box.

BUCKET OF STUFF

Personalize a bucket or container with the birthday child’s name, and fill with age-appropriate art and craft supplies like paper, crayons, pencils, glitter, paste, scissors, ruler, tape and a pencil sharpener. Don't forget candy. A dollar store is a great place to fill a birthday bucket because it’s quantity that counts!

Everyday CHEAPSKATE®

Some time ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who had recently joined a mom’s group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her child are getting invitations to lots of toddler birthday parties.

by Mary Hunt

Her dilemma took me back to when our boys were small. Birthday parties for all their friends were challenging. That’s why Elaine’s message grabbed my attention. “Can you help me with ideas for birthday gifts for young children that will score with the kids without breaking our budget?”

You bet, Elaine. Try these ideas on for size.

THE STORY OF ME

Give the birthday girl or boy everything they need to write (or draw) the story of their life. For children just learning to read, write or draw, include a list of “prompts” that might include instructing the child to draw a picture of a favorite animal, a funny thing they saw, a place to visit or something that makes them happy. Package it with a pad or book of drawing paper, markers, crayons and enough prompts to complete all the pages in their book.

PLAY KIT

Spark the interest and imagination of the birthday child with a custom play kit you put together. “Design” the kit on paper by making a list of contents, and then go “shopping” in your home, garage or attic. Visit thrift stores, garage sales and consignment stores for items that can be laundered and sanitized. Make kits for boys or girls and feature themes such as dress-up, kitchen, handyman, restaurant, doctor, fireman, cowboy, or anyone else you can think of.

PIGGY BANK

Start your recipient on the debt-proof road early with a piggy bank. Add a starter fund of coins (or cash, if it’s in your budget) to encourage regular deposits that will make the pig noisy when shaken.

PHOTO JIGSAW PUZZLE

Mount an enlarged photo of your child and the birthday boy or girl onto a piece of foam board. Cover the photo with a piece of tracing paper and lightly draw a jigsaw pattern, making the number of pieces appropriate for the recipi-

COUPON BOOK

Create a book filled with coupons for play dates with your child and the birthday boy or girl. Include trips to the park, your home, sleepovers, treats, games, crafts and activities.

JUMP ROPE AND RHYMES

This gift is a fun one for elementaryaged kids -- and very budget-friendly. Purchase a colorful jump rope, and add the free printable jump rope rhymes you can easily find online with a simple search for “jump rope rhymes.”

COLORING KIT

Coloring is popular right now for kids and adults. Putting together a coloring kit makes for an inexpensive gift. Items for the kit might include colored pencils, markers, crayons and one or two coloring books. Purchase them during the fall, when school supplies are on sale for ridiculously awesome prices.

* * *

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.”

The study of etymology follows the origin of a word back to its beginning form and useage, and traces it through its transmissions through various languages and into its common useage today. Here, for your literary edification, are some examples.

• The word “trade” as in “a tradesman” or “learn a trade” or “go to trade school” comes from the Old English “traden” meaning “to tread” meaning the path a person takes as their profession.

• The word “profession” comes from the practice of people who would “profess an oath” to join a religious order or a trade guild.

• A male goat was called a “boc” in Dutch. That name turned into “buck” meaning a male deer and also “bok” meaning an antelope found in Africa. In France, a “boucher” was a tradesman who dealt in goat meat. Today, a “butcher” deals in all meats.

• A baker of course is someone who bakes, but in German, a female baker was called a “bakster” which became the surname “Baxter.” Similarly, a female brewer was a “Brewster.”

• The Latin word “candere” meaning “to shine” is the root of many of our modern words. First is “candle.” Then there’s “incandescent” meaning “to glow with heat.” The related Latin word “candidus” meant “white.” “Candidates” running for office in ancient Roman times wore white robes. The words “candid” and “candor” also spring from this Latin root.

• A “smith” is anyone who works with metals. A “blacksmith” works with dark-colored metals such as iron, as opposed to a silversmith,

goldsmith or even a coppersmith.

• The Latin “carpentum” means “cart” and a carpenter was a person who constructed carts or carriages.

• The German surname “Zimmermann” means carpenter because “zimmer” means “timber” so a “timber man” is a person who works with wood.

• The Latin word “mango” had nothing to do with the tropical fruit. Instead, it referred to a trader. From Latin it morphed into the English word “monger.” Different types of mongers included fish mongers, cheese mongers, iron mongers, and others. Today we also have war mongers, gossip mongers, rumor mongers, and fear mongers.

• The Latin word “grossarius” referred to anyone who sold things in large quantities. Today we’d refer to someone who sells in bulk as a wholesaler. The Latin word turned into the French “grossier” and then into English as “grocer.”

• The French word “tailleur” meant broadly “one who cuts.” It gave us the word “tailor” but originally in French there were stone tailors (masons), wood tailors (lumberjacks), and dress tailors.

• A milliner is a hat maker, and the word harkens back to Italy, where the city of Milan became the European headquarters for garment making, especially known for their hats.

• A farrier is someone who shoes horses. The horseshoes are made of iron. The Latin word for iron “ferro” is the root of “ferrous” indicating any metal which contains iron, just as “non-ferrous” means any metal that does not have iron.

• The trade of weaver originates from the old Germanic word “webh” from which we also get web and weft. Someone whose name is Weber had a weaver in their past, and a female weaver

was called a Webster.

• A collier was a “coler” or “coaler,” someone who either mined coal or made charcoal.

• A cooper, referring to someone who made barrels, comes from the Latin “cupa” meaning cask, vat, or tub. The same root word gives us coop, as in chicken pen. 

by Dana Jackson

Q: What ever happened to the character of Daphne who was so central to the first season of “Bridgerton”? Is she ever coming back? -- A.W.

A: Phoebe Dynevor, who starred in the first season of “Bridgerton” as Daphne and continued into season two, chose not to sign a new contract once her obligation was fulfilled. Her character was glaringly absent in the third season at the wedding ceremonies of her siblings, but the show chose not to explain the whereabouts of her character.

Season four of the series will focus on Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) pursuit of Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) with a storyline that is “a bit of a twist on ‘Cinderella,’” according to Netflix’s

companion website Tudum. The story is from “An Offer from a Gentleman,” which is the third novel of author Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series.

Filming isn’t expected to wrap until April 2025. Netflix did release a sneak peek of the upcoming season, but a release date hasn’t been announced.

***

Q: I’m excited that Heidi Klum is returning to “Project Runway,” but what about Tim Gunn? I want to see them both together onscreen again. -- Y.B.

A: The fashion design competitive reality series “Project Runway” is returning, but it’ll be on a different network -- Freeform. When it premiered on Bravo in 2004, Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum hosted the show together. The two left the series in 2017 to start another show on Amazon Prime Video called “Making the Cut.” They said the bigger budget allowed them to have more creative freedom, but it lasted for just three seasons.

This past January, it was announced that Klum was returning to “Project Runway” at its new network home, Freeform. Shockingly, Gunn wasn’t asked back. He told People magazine that Klum reached out to him to ask if he was interested in returning. He said, “Of course,” but was never given an offer from Freeform. His agent contacted the producers, who said, “We don’t want him.” Gunn, understandably, is hurt, and his fans are outraged. He doesn’t blame Klum, though, saying, “I have her back, and I’m with her in spirit always.”

The new “Project Runway” will debut later this year, but the judges and premiere date have yet to be announced. ***

Q: Is there really going to be a “Legally Blonde” series? Will Reese Witherspoon star in it? -- K.S.

A: Yes, there is a “Legally Blonde” project in the development stages at Amazon MGM Studios. Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine is behind the project, but it’s not known what kind of on-screen presence, if any, she’ll have since originating the role of Elle Woods in 2001. The series is actually a prequel, and another actress will play young Elle. Lexi Minetree (“The Murdaugh Murders”) recently secured the role.

There were plans for a “Legally Blonde 3” starring Witherspoon, but it’s been delayed since 2022. No word on whether it will see the light of day or if they’ll just focus on the prequel series.

Good Recipes from

Lite Mac and Cheese

They’ll never know we took out 10 grams of fat per serving because this macaroni and cheese is as good as -- maybe even better than -- the old-fashioned recipe.

8 ounces elbow macaroni twists (whole or multigrain)

1 container low-fat cottage cheese (1 percent)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cup fat-free milk

4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Grease broilersafe, shallow 2 1/2-quart casserole. In medium saucepot, cook macaroni as label directs, but do not add salt to water. Drain.

2. In food processor with knife blade attached, puree cottage cheese until smooth. (Or, in blender, puree cottage cheese with 1/4 cup of milk in recipe until smooth.)

3. In 2-quart saucepan, blend flour with 1/4 cup milk until smooth. With wire whisk, slowly stir in remaining milk until blended. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until mixture has thickened slightly and boils. Remove from heat; stir in cottage cheese, Cheddar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Spoon macaroni into prepared casserole and cover with cheese sauce. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with Pecorino. Turn oven control to broil.

5. Place casserole into broiler at closest position to heat source; broil until top is golden

brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Makes 8 (251 calorie) servings.

Pork Chops With Onions and Peppers

Boneless chops are smothered in green onions and red peppers for this fast and easy skillet dinner.

4 boneless pork loin chops

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 bunch green onions

2 medium red peppers

1 clove garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Heat nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork chops to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chops about 8 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside, turning chops over once (reduce heat to medium if chops are browning too quickly). Transfer chops to plate; keep warm.

2. To skillet, add oil and green-onion tops, and cook 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer green-onion tops to small bowl. In same skillet, cook red peppers and green-onion bottoms 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and

crushed red pepper, and cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir in broth and half of green-onion tops; heat through. Spoon pepper mixture onto platter; top with chops and remaining green-onion tops. Serves 4.

hundreds of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/.

By John Allen

DIAMOND LIL

by Brett Koth

Donald Duck by Walt

NEXT WEEK IN TIDBITS ATTENDS A FEW

Holidays & Observances This Week

3/5

3/7

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis

Bidder Beware

There have been times when my jaw has hit the floor and I swear it registered on the Richter scale. This week was one of them.

On Monday, I took a call from a man who was livid. “I’m gonna take ‘em to court,” he railed, without offering any details, like he who was or what he wanted from me.

“Tell me what happened,” I said.

“I just got this dog, and he’s sick. I’ve already spent $700 at the vet clinic.”

I asked him where he got the dog. And a few seconds later marks the point at which my face went slack-jawed.

“On eBay.”

American author Edward Abbey once said, “In the modern techno-industrial culture, it is possible to proceed from infancy to senility without ever knowing manhood.” This man is living proof of that theory.

He went on to tell me that his $100 bid bought him a dog on the popular Internet auction site, and that the seller met him at a gas station on the side of a highway to deliver the merchandise: One dog. No papers. What was he thinking?

He was thinking he wanted a dog and didn’t want to spend a lot of money.

He was thinking he could learn everything he needed to know from pictures posted online alongside a brief description.

What was eBay thinking? You’d be hardpressed to argue that providing a forum for the online auctioning of live animals is a reputable practice.

Turns out, eBay doesn’t allow this practice. Under Rules and Policies in the membership section of their website, they’ve posted a list of prohibited and restricted items for sellers, and the list includes live animals. How active eBay is in enforcing their rules, I don’t know. But they do provide a space for users to report violations.

Online communities policing themselves

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 10

(CryptoQuip Solution on page 12)

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles

Don’t Fall for Medicare Scams

Medicare card scams are on the rise. During one calendar year, Medicare had over $100 billion in fraudulent claims, and the damage cost goes up when identity theft and stolen financial information are added in.

What the Medicare thieves want is your card number, and they’ll try any number of tricks to get you to reveal it.

Scammers might contact you to offer you a “cheaper” Medicare but will need your personal information to sign you up. Don’t fall for it.

They might impersonate a Medicare employee and say that your card is about to expire and you need a new one. They’ll ask for your current card number and your personal information to verify it’s really you. (Wrong: Medicare cards do NOT expire.)

Scammers might call and say that your Medicare benefits have been canceled, but claim they can help you get the benefits reinstated if you give them your personal information or even a fee. (Wrong: Medicare won’t communicate with you that way, and if they need to contact you, it will be by mail.)

Thieves might try to claim that your old paper card isn’t good now and that you need a new one with a chip in it, like a credit card. (Wrong: Medicare cards are only made of paper.)

They might offer you a refund of some type or something free, or you might be offered genetic testing. All you need to do, they’ll say, is give them your Medicare card number ... and your bank information for the refund.

Whether you’re contacted by phone, email or text message, DON'T give out your Medicare card number or any of your personal or financial information.

As usual, if you suspect you have a scammer on the phone, hang up immediately If you believe it was an attempt at a Medicare scam, call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) to report it.

* * *

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.

Cody’s Corner (from page 9)

is not a new concept. And the idea isn’t too far removed from the Neighborhood Watch groups that operate in many real-world communities. The key to the success of such organizations is that the majority of the players exercise sound judgment and a sense of responsibility. Instead of bidding on the dog, this man should have flagged the seller.

Anyone who wants to become a dog owner has a responsibility to educate themselves on what it takes to raise a puppy and what it means to live with a dog for upward of 15 years. You have to pinpoint why you want a dog -- for protection, for companionship, for a special need, for the sheer joy of it -- in order to know what kind of dog would be best for you. And you have to learn a little something about those breeds in order to narrow down the best match for your lifestyle and energy level.

Once you’re through with that phase of your research and decision-making, you need face time with some living, breathing, three-dimensional canines before you seal the deal. Off the top of my head, our overpopulated shelters and rescues are a great place to start.

As for the angry man who wants to sue someone over his sick pup, I’d suggest he look in the mirror and sue the guy staring back at him. After all, he’s the sucker who bought a dog on eBay.

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.

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

Clarifying the DOGE Allegations About Social Security

Many readers have been emailing me asking for my help in understanding the allegations made by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency about sloppy recordkeeping at the Social Security Administration. Here are three typical questions.

Q: What is going on with the DOGE reports about Social Security recipients who are supposedly 120 years old?

Q: Elon Musk says that there are millions of people in Social Security files who are at least 150 years old. Who is cashing all the checks sent to these obviously nonexistent people?

Q: I’ve heard that millions of people well over 100 years old are being sent Social Security checks every month. What’s going on?

Let me begin by making this key point. The Social Security records in question are NOT Social Security benefit payment records. Those records are meticulously maintained and updated constantly. Every single study I’ve ever seen, by both government and private sector oversight groups, has shown that Social Security benefit payments are remarkably correct -- with about 99.8% accuracy.

So, despite all these ridiculous rumors to the contrary, Social Security benefit checks are NOT being sent to people who died a long time ago.

The mismanaged records in question belong to a completely separate set of files maintained by the Social Security Administration. They are the Social Security number files. Internally (within the SSA), it is called the Numident file. This is a file of every Social Security number that has ever been issued and some corresponding data about the person to whom that number was issued.

I’m in that file. You’re in that file. Anyone who has ever had a Social Security number is in that file. The data in that file comes from the form you filled out when you got your first Social Security card. To refresh your memory (because most people reading this probably got their SSN card 50 or 60 years ago), the form asked for your name, your date and place of birth and your parents’ names.

So, all those records (hundreds of millions of them) make up the Numident file. Now, I can’t stress enough that the Numident file has nothing to do with other key files maintained by the SSA, such as earnings record files for all working Americans and the beneficiary payment files for everyone getting a monthly Social Security check.

The problem is that even though Social Security earnings records and beneficiary payment records are constantly maintained and updated, especially when someone dies, those reports of death did not always get transferred over to the Numident files.

I can think of an example of how that might happen. Say John Doe was born in 1900 and got a Social Security number in 1935. Then, he died in 1938, having never been married or had children. Back then, there was no need to report that death to the Social Security Administration because there were no benefit payments to stop and no survivor benefits to apply for. So, the Numident file for John Doe will show no date of death. And that means you could look at that file and say that the SSA has a record of a guy (John Doe) who is 125 years old.

And then you multiply that John Doe story by a million other instances like that and you come up with a Numident file that has not been properly maintained. (But to be fair and put things in perspective, those incorrect files are a small percentage of the whole universe of SSN records.)

On the one hand, you could say, “What’s the big deal if John Doe’s date of death is not recorded in the Numident file if it has nothing to do with the SSA’s other, more important files such as earnings records and beneficiary payment data?”

On the other hand, it is still a case of sloppy recordkeeping by the SSA, and those Numident files should be updated to show proper dates of death for everyone.

Here’s another way of looking at this story. Suppose Betty Crocker was proud of the fact that she maintained an absolutely immaculate house. Every room is meticulously cleaned each day, everything is in its place and there is never a spot of dust to be found anywhere. But Betty does have one room down in the corner of the basement that she rarely enters. It’s a storage room of sorts where, because of her scrupulous habits, everything is mostly in order. But she still has some stray clutter in it that she’s been meaning to get to someday. Because Betty spends so much time keeping the rest of her place in tip-top shape, she just hasn’t had the time to get down to the storage room to clean it.

Then, one day, Betty learns that the people at Good Housekeeping Magazine are coming over to inspect her house. When they arrive, she proudly opens the door, ready to show off all her hard

1. The book of 2 Thessalonians is found in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither

2. In the Song of Solomon 2:1, the Shulamite calls herself two kinds of flowers; the rose and the ________? a) Cinnamon b) Lily c) Heather d) Sage

3. From Titus 1, Paul wrote, "Unto the pure all things are ________"? a) Golden b) Righteous c) Worthy d) Pure

4. What archangel is mentioned by name in the book of Jude? a) Gabriel b) Silas c) Michael d) Melchizedek

5. In 1 Kings 21, who forbade Naboth to give his vineyard to Ahab? a) The Lord b) Jezebel c) Angel d) Balaam

6. In Psalm 103:5, what bird's youth is renewable? a) Raven b) Swallow c) Dove d) Eagle

(Answers on page 16)

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work. But lo and behold, they head straight for the basement and go into her storage room. They are shocked by the disarray and proceed to write a story accusing Betty of being a sloppy housekeeper. The story goes viral, and now poor Betty is shamed across the country. Furthermore, the Good Housekeeping people are threatening to send in their own people to clean up Betty’s alleged mess. Of course, in that little story, Betty is the Social Security Administration. Her meticulously kept home is all of the SSA’s many data files. But that basement storage room is the Numident file. The Good Housekeeping people are Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. It’s just too bad for Betty that Good Housekeeping has dwelled on the only unclean room in her home and besmirched her reputation. And it’s too bad for the Social Security Administration that its reputation for benefit payment accuracy has been muddied by a DOGE story taken out of context.

Having said all that, it obviously would be wise for Betty to clean her storage room and for the SSA to clean up its Numident files.

* * *

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

Rapid Heart Rate

Persists for a Decade Without Evaluation

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 75-yearold woman who, for at least 10 years now, has been experiencing a rapid heart rate. My blood pressure, however, remains normal. In fact, doctors are usually surprised at how good my blood pressure is since I am borderline obese and slightly diabetic. During this past physical, my doctor did mention my rapid heart rate but didn’t recommend treatment or referral to a cardiologist. Should I insist on a referral to a cardiologist, or would this only bring me to more unnecessary testing? --

M.R.

ANSWER: I unfortunately hear about people (more commonly women) having a potentially serious medical condition that gets ignored for many years, and I fear this is the case with you.

In a person with a persistently fast heart rate (over 100 bpm), an electrocardiogram (EKG) is an essential first step. I suspect you may have had this done, but if you haven’t, this clearly needs to be done. Atrial fibrillation and some less-common heart rhythms need to be excluded.

It’s likely that you have “sinus tachycardia,” meaning that the impulse comes from the sinus node but is persistently too fast. The heart rate is supposed to be fast if you are exercising, and a fast pulse can often come on as a response to an infection or a loss of fluids. But I think that, after 10 years, you most likely have a condition called inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST).

Since you are writing to me, I assume that this is bothering you. Most people with IST note palpitations, but loss of endurance and decreased exercise tolerance are other common symptoms. Before getting treated, it’s important to make sure that there isn’t some longstanding cause, such as anemia or

thyroid disease.

It’s also necessary to exclude the diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which can overlap with IST and seems to be much more common now, especially after a COVID infection.

I have had some success in prescribing exercise for carefully selected patients with IST. The cardiology literature recommends beta blockers or ivabradine to reduce symptoms and improve exercise ability. Referral to a cardiologist is appropriate given your 10 years of not being evaluated. Even if you decide against therapy, making sure that there isn’t a serious problem is very wise. ***

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

VETERANS POST 

by Freddie Groves

New VA Secretary Doug Collins

Changes are coming fast and furious at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since these impact many of us, we need to pay attention to what’s going on -- and who’s now in charge.

The VA has a new secretary, Douglas A. Collins, the 12th in the position since the VA was started in 1988. Collins is an Air Force veteran, served as chaplain, has been a Reserve colonel for 23 years and additionally served for two years in the Navy. He served in Iraq and at his confirmation hearing said that he slept next to burn pits for many months.

He’s an attorney and was a U.S. representative for a Georgia district from 2013 to 2021.

Quite the resume, and the Senate vote to confirm him was fairly strong: 77 to 23.

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He’s jumped right in, saying he wants to expand the VA’s private sector care and figure out how to get rid of employees who aren’t doing their job. He stopped the employee teleworking right away, insisting people come back to work, and put a hiring freeze in place until things shake out and they see if there are any vacancies once people decide if they’re staying or going. Further, he vowed to fix the $16 billion computer system that’s been sitting unfinished for two years.

Sometimes you just want to see a man and hear his voice before you make up your mind about him. Go online to YouTube and look for “Doug Collins opening remarks in Veterans Affairs secretary confirmation hearing.”

Watching that video, I liked things about him that have nothing directly to do with the VA and the position he’s been given, but instead tell what kind of a man he is. He’s been married 36 years, he still has a bracelet a female Airman made for him when he was a flightline chaplain 15 years ago and he thanked his 88-year-old father. In the end, those things matter.

He is a brilliant man with an inate passion for excellence, honesty and fairness.

I wish him well.

* * *

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



-- by Jim Miller

Is a Reverse Mortgage a Good Idea?

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Since my husband passed away last year my income has dropped by more than half. I am a retiree and I am now struggling to keep up with my monthly living expenses. What can you tell me about reverse mortgages? Would this be a good alternative for my situation?

-- Desperate in Delaware

Dear Desperate: For retirees who own their home and want to stay living there but are in need of extra cash, a reverse mortgage is a viable financial tool. But there is first a lot to know and consider to be sure it’s a good option for you. Let’s start with the basics:

A reverse mortgage is a unique type of loan that allows older homeowners to borrow money against the equity in their house (or condo) that doesn’t have to be repaid until the homeowner either dies, sells the home or moves out for at least 12 months. At that point, you or your heirs will have to pay back the loan plus accrued interest and fees (usually by selling the home), but you will never owe more than the value of your home.

It’s also important to understand that with a reverse mortgage, you, not the bank, own the house, so you’re still required to pay your property taxes, homeowners’ insurance and upkeep. Failure to pay them can result in foreclosure.

To be eligible, you must be 62 years of age or older, have at least 50 percent equity in your home, and currently be living there.

You will also need to undergo a financial assessment to determine whether you

can afford to continue paying your property taxes and insurance. Depending on your financial situation, you may be required to put part of your loan into an escrow account to pay future bills. If the financial assessment finds that you cannot pay your insurance and taxes and have enough cash left to live on, you’re application will be denied.

Loan Details

More than 90 percent of all reverse mortgages offered are Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), which are FHA insured and offered through private mortgage lenders and banks. HECM’s have home value limits that vary by county but cannot exceed $1,209,750 in 2025.

How much you can actually get through a reverse mortgage depends on your age (the older you are the more you can get), your home’s value and the prevailing interest rates. Generally, most people can borrow somewhere between 40 and 60 percent of the home’s value. To estimate how much you can borrow, use the reverse mortgage calculator at ReverseMortgage.org

To receive your money, you can opt for a lump sum, a line of credit, regular monthly checks or a combination of these.

But be aware the reverse mortgages aren’t cheap. You’ll have to pay an origination fee, which is the greater of $2,500 or 2 percent of the first $200,000 of your home’s value plus 1 percent of the amount over $200,000. HECM origination fees are capped at $6,000.

You’ll also be charged an initial mortgage insurance premium, which is 2 percent of the loan amount, along with closing costs

that will likely run several thousand dollars. Any amount you borrow, including these fees and insurance, accrues interest, which means your debt grows over time.

To learn more, see the National Council on Aging’s online booklet “Use Your Home to Stay at Home” at NCOA.org/article/use-your-home-to-stay-at-home

Also be aware that because reverse mortgages are complex loans, all borrowers are required to get counseling through a HUD approved independent counseling agency before taking one out. Most agencies charge between $125 and $200. To locate one near you, visit Go.usa.gov/v2H, or call 800-569-4287.

Other Options

If a reverse mortgage doesn’t suit you, you could also tap your home equity by getting a regular home equity loan or line of credit. This type of borrowing requires you to make payments, and lenders can freeze or lower limits on lines of credit, but the borrowing costs are much lower. Or you could also sell your home and move somewhere that is less expensive for you.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Sad Songs: from page 3

were backstage preparing for a show when Plant received a phone call from his wife, saying that Karac was terribly ill with a stomach infection. Two hours later, he got the news that his son had died. Plant flew home. The tour was canceled. A year later, the band recorded the album “In Through the Out Door” which contained the song “All of My Love.” This was a moving tribute to his son: “Ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find / He is a feather in the wind.”

• When Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi was a child, his family was shattered by the news of his aunt’s suicide. He watched his mother grieve the loss of her sister and never forgot the pain of wondering if there was something they could have done. The tragic event inspired the song “Before You Go” which he wrote in 2019 as a testament to the emotional aftermath of suicide: “So, before you go / Was there something I could’ve said to make your heart beat better / If only I’d have known you had a storm to weather.” His album “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent” included the song and it climbed to #1 on the Scottish and English Singles Charts in 2020.

• David Gates was the lead singer for Bread. Their breakout album, released in 1970, was the first of seven consecutive albums to go gold in the U.S. One of those albums, “Baby I’m-a Want You” included a song called “Everything I Own.” Gates wrote this as he mourned the fact that his father, who died in 1963, never got to see how successful he became: “I would give anything I own / I’d give up my life, my heart, my home / I would give everything I own / Just to have you back again.”

• Perhaps one of the saddest, most tear-jerking songs ever composed, "Old Shep" was written by country singer Red Foley. He relates the story about the dog he grew up with and loved as a close companion when Foley was a child. As the dog grew old and lame he knew his end was near. When the vet told him there was no more hope for his Shep, he faced the dreadful task of ending his beloved pet’s misery. “With hands that were trembling / I picked up my gun /And aimed it at Shep’s faithful head / I just couldn't do it, I wanted to run / I wish they would shoot me instead / He came to my side and looked up at me / And layed his old head on my knee / I had struck the best friend a man ever had / I cried so I scarcely could see” The song, later recorded by many artists including Hank Snow and Elvis Presley, became a country classic. 

by Jason Jenkins

Sometimes you just have to create a hooking (curving right to left) shot to get yourself back into play. For example, when your ball is on the left side of the hole and you’re blocked by a row of trees, you’ll need this recovery shot to salvage a decent score.

Step One: Pre-close the face a quarter turn, and then take your normal grip. You’ll need the face to be closed in order to help create the side spin.

Step Two: Rehearse arm swings that intentionally “cross-over” in the early follow through. You can’t hold on tightly with excessive grip pressure when you want to create the hook shot.

Step Three: Aim the shot significantly away from the tree line in order to start the ball out into open space.