Vol. 20: #7: Medieval Castles • (2-11-2024) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

by Kathy Wolfe

Medieval castles were designed to be both defensive structures and the residences of noblemen. From the very first earthwork enclosures built by the Normans after the invasion of 1066, castles were as much about status as they were about war. This week, Tidbits uncovers the facts on some of these ancient fortresses from around the world.

• Castles were expensive. A medieval king would need to spend around 40 percent of his annual income building and maintaining his elaborate structure. During the Middle Ages, the average time to build a castle was about ten years, with a cost in today’s dollars anywhere from $6 million to $125 million, depending on size and location. In the 1100s skilled workers earned a penny each day they worked, while masons and carpenters made about five pennies a day. Between 1282 and 1289, British King Edward I built Harlech Castle on the Irish Sea using 546 laborers, 30 blacksmiths, 22 carpenters, and 227 stone masons.

Castles: Turn to page 3

TRIVIA NEWSFRONT

(Answers on page 16)

It’s the week of hearts and flowers, so letʼs put the spotlight on the human heart?

• Although a kind person is sometimes described as “having a heart as big as all outdoors,” in reality the average heart is about the size of an adult fist. It weighs somewhere between 7 and 15 ounces, and is less than 0.5% of a person’s total body weight. The male heart typically weighs about two ounces more than a female heart.

• The heart is located between the lungs at the front of the chest, slightly behind and to the left of the protective breastbone. In order to allow room for the heart, the left lung is a little smaller than the right lung. The body’s ribs provide extra protection for this vital organ.

• The heart is divided into two parts, separated by a wall of muscles known as a septum. Each part holds an atrium and a ventricle. The atria, from the Latin word for “entrance hall,” are the two upper chambers, while the ventricles, translating “little belly,” are toward the bottom of the heart. Blood inside the heart flows in only one direction, with four one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing back. Blood enters the heart through the right atrium, then moves to the right ventricle. It is then pumped to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen from hemoglobin within red blood cells, then moves to the left atrium, to the left ventricle, exiting there to supply the body.

1. MOVIES: Which movie has the tagline, “May the odds be ever in your favor”?

2. GEOGRAPHY: Which country possesses Baffin Island?

3. AD SLOGANS: Which company’s slogan is, “You’re in good hands”?

4. LANGUAGE: What is a common saying for the Latin phrase “lapsus linguae”?

5. MUSIC: What country was home to reggae singer Bob Marley?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is an example of a macropod?

7. TELEVISION: Gordon, Percy, James, Toby and Emily are characters on which children’s show?

8. MATH: What is 1/60 of a degree?

9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the book series “The Chronicles of Narnia”?

10. ACRONYMS: What does the acronym SPF stand for?

Answers

1. “The Hunger Games.”

2. Canada.

tablespoons of blood, enough to fill an Olympicsized swimming pool in less than a year. About 2,000 gallons of blood are pumped through 60,000 miles of blood vessels every day. Turn on your kitchen faucet full blast and leave it on for 45 years, and the amount of water would equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart over an average lifetime.

• A woman’s heart beats slightly faster than a man’s, with the average woman’s heart rate at 78 beats per minute, and the man’s at 70 bpm.

• The human heart begins beating four weeks after conception. By the time a baby has been delivered, his/her heart has already beat about 50 million times. A healthy newborn's heart beats between 90 and 190 times per minute.

• What’s the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked, usually because of coronary artery disease. A cardiac arrest takes place when the heart’s rhythm and electrical system malfunction and the heart stops beating.

• Every year, more than two million people have open-heart surgery to correct a variety of lifethreatening heart conditions. 

• The ventricles have thicker walls than the atria, generating higher blood pressure. In fact, the blood pressure in the left ventricle is high enough to squirt blood to a height of 30 feet!

• The “thump-thump” sound of a heartbeat is from the four valves of the heart opening and closing. Each heartbeat fills all four chambers with a fresh round of blood. All of the body’s blood travels through the heart once per minute.

• An adult body weighing 150 to 180 lbs. will contain between 1.2 and 1.5 gallons of blood. Nearly all of the body’s 75 trillion cells receive blood. The only exceptions are the corneas in the eyes.

• A normal heart beats upwards of 100,000 times a day. With each beat, the heart pumps about four

Week of February 11, 2024

Castles (from page one)

• A castle’s great hall was a very wide rectangular room that served many purposes. Guests were received and entertained there, the lord of the house and his family and the servants were fed there, and it was the site of official activities. It featured massive fireplaces topped with elaborately carved wood or stone mantles. They kept the hall warm so that members of the household might even sleep on the floor of the great hall.

• The keep, or donjon, was the heart of a medieval castle and the most defended and safest place to be during a siege. As the highest point with visibility for spotting encroaching enemies, it had extra thick walls and was topped by turrets and battlements.

• A heavy metal grating of latticed iron called a portcullis hung on a track over the massive castle door, and was raised and lowered by chain or heavy ropes. The lower end of the portcullis featured long, jagged teeth that sank deep into the ground when slid closed in front of the door, securely closing off the entrance when the castle was under siege.

• A castle’s version of indoor plumbing was a hole built into either an alcove in a room’s stone wall, or into a “garderobe,” a small room where people also stored their clothing, much like a toilet in a closet. Waste dropped down a long chute that emptied into the moat.

• When a medieval castle was under siege, its most vulnerable part was the well. It was the source of water for all those taking refuge inside the walls, and if poisoned by the enemy, the castle would soon be forced to surrender. A common method was to dump a decomposing corpse in the well.

• The oldest castle still standing is France’s

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Chateau de Doue-la-Fontaine, built in 950 A.D. by the Count of Blois on the foundations of an older ninth-century structure. Only its aula, the large reception hall, remains.

• The world’s oldest inhabited castle is Britain’s Windsor Castle, built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Since then, 39 British monarchs have used it as a part-time residence. The castle has 484,000 square feet of floor space sitting on 13 acres. There are 300 fireplaces in the castle and 450 clocks. More than 150 people live and work there.Ten English monarchs are buried at Windsor Castle, including Henry VIII, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II and her father George VI.

• In 1992, a devastating fire broke out at the castle in a chapel where a spotlight ignited a curtain, consuming nearly 20 percent of the castle’s area. A total of 225 firemen battled the blaze for 15 hours. A five-year restoration cost $47.5 million (about $86 million in today’s dollars).

• England’s first castle was the Tower of London’s White Tower, built by William the Conqueror (William I) between 1078 and 1097 as a military fortification and luxurious lodgings for the King. It was greatly expanded in the 13th century. The Tower was the country’s most important prison during the Tudor Age.

• Three of Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine Howard, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Grey were all executed on the grounds in the 16th century and are buried on the chapel grounds. The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are housed there, a total of 23,578 gemstones, some dating back to the 12th century. Rings, crowns, scepters, armor, and coronation vestments guarded by a regiment of soldiers. St. Edward’s crown is the centerpiece of the display, a crown embellished with 444 stones. Upwards of three million people visit the Tower every year, making it one of the world’s leading tourist attractions.

• England’s Dover Castle is that country’s largest castle. It was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century on the White Cliffs above the English Channel. King Henry II refurbished and expanded the castle in the 12th century, spending £6,400 of his £20,000 annual income.

NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE

The stairwells in medieval castles ran clockwise for a defensive reason. Attackers who might be charging up the stairs were more than likely to be right-handed, and would be at a disadvantage with their sword arm against the wall's interior curve, making it harder to swing their sword.

Page 3

There are more than three miles of secret tunnels under the cliffs, with many yet undiscovered.

• The castle was used during World War II as a headquarters for the British military, with a garrison of 16,000 troops defending the high ground. It hosted training camps for soldiers, an air-raid shelter, and underground hospital. It was the headquarters for the effort to evacuate

Castles: Turn to page 15

1. Which Scottish castle is the holiday home to the Royal Family?

2. What country holds the record for the most ancient castles?

Answers page 16

By Lucie Winborne

* A UCLA study determined that football players with lower jersey numbers are perceived as slimmer and faster than their teammates with higher jersey digits.

* The Sullivan Ordinance of 1908 in New York City aimed to prohibit women from smoking in public places, sparking not just widespread debate about women’s rights, but marking a symbolic battleground for female activists dedicated to gender equality. The law was vetoed by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. just two weeks later.

* A study of over 10 million births revealed that children are 4.6% more likely to be born in the same month as their mothers.

* When Kentucky Fried Chicken expanded its operations to China in the 1980s, the food chain’s iconic slogan -- “It’s finger-lickin’ good!” -- was mistakenly, if amusingly, translated in Mandarin to “Eat your fingers off.”

* King Charles III was the first British royal to go to a traditional school.

* During the Napoleonic campaigns in the early 19th century, French soldiers observed an odd condition among many local Egyptian men, who reported blood in their urine, leading to the misnomer label “the land of the menstruating men.” The actual cause was the parasitic disease schistosomiasis.

* Some scientists make a habit of consuming the organisms they study, a practice that dates to Charles Darwin’s sampling of exotic animals such as pumas and iguanas during his voyages.

* The word “gymnastics” comes from the ancient Greek “gymnazein,” meaning “to exercise naked.”

* Are you a fan of Cheetos? If so, you might want to visit the town of Cheadle in Alberta, Canada, which is the proud possessor of a 20-foot statue of a ... Cheeto. Bonus: It even lights up at night!

***

Thought for the Day: “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” -- Lewis Carroll

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Everyday CHEAPSKATE®

by Mary Hunt

Great Readers and Their Great Tips

Have I told you lately how much I love my readers? Especially those who send me messages, questions, and tips? EC is crazy for great reader tips. Some I receive are startling and send me running to verify; others bring on gales of laughter. But mostly, they leave me wondering, “Wow, really? Why didn’t I think of that?!”

employment benefits package. But it can get even better. Many extend free or reduced tuition to the employee’s dependent children as well. This is working so well for my son and me. I work at an Ivy League school, so free tuition represents a tidy sum. The university I work for will even pay up to 40% of the cost of the tuition if my son attends another university.

-- Paulette A., Pennsylvania

CARBON COPIES ARE COOL AGAIN

Everyday CHEAPSKATE®

by Mary Hunt

Now, before we get going, please understand that while I find each of these to be great ideas, remember the words of Ronald Reagan, who famously said, “Trust, but verify!”

SILVER CLEANER

To clean your silver without harsh commercial chemical products, use the miracle powder in your pantry: baking soda. I used it on my silver candleholders when I was in a pinch, and it worked wonders. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and massage it in gently with an old toothbrush. Rinse under warm water, or if the piece is too big, wipe it off with a wet cloth and buff it to a shine with a clean cotton towel. I will never go back to $10 cleaners now that I’ve found the 50-cent solution!

-- Angela H., California

BRITTANICA ONLINE

I recall as a teen sitting for hours poring through my grandparents’ big heavy encyclopedias. While those books have mostly disappeared, the joy of discovery is still available for all without the financial investment up front and then for the annual updated volumes. Log on to Britannica.com to find a startling wealth of current information together with gorgeous photos and loads of fun. That site is such a great resource for kids’ school research projects, and reports too. While the site is generally free, there is a premium upgrade available, which I find to be a fabulous value for what it offers.

-- Ann T., Missouri

CHEAP “WHITE DRY-ERASE BOARD”

Instead of paying $30 for a small white dry-erase marker board, we purchased a 4 x 8-foot sheet of white tub paneling from Home Depot. It’s quite lightweight and flexible, works just the same as a whiteboard, and it’s HUGE! The best part: It cost only $25. We did not frame ours and left it in its gigantic size, but you could cut and frame it to any size, of course.

-- Debbie P., Mississippi

CAMPUS COFFEE

One of our favorite haunts is a local college coffee shop. We can buy good coffee and lattes for about a third of the cost of other coffee shops. The food on many campuses is good and very reasonable, and you do not have to be an alumnus or a student to patronize. I have even found, at certain times of the year, that the bookstore has some great sales.

-- Mary Beth D., Washington

ADDED EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Most colleges and universities offer their full-time employees free tuition as part of their

I keep a spiral-bound duplicate phone message book (Amazon) that makes duplicate copies for sending notes to my kids’ teachers, bus drivers and troop leaders. The duplicate copy that stays in the book makes a handy chronological reference should I need to follow up later. And yes, I know I could do this with email, but my handy book relieves the hassle and keeps all of these related messages in a safe, easy-to-locate place. -- Cathy M., Indiana

THIS ADVICE SUCKS

When my vacuum cleaner attachments are too large for small tight spaces, I attach an ordinary plastic drinking straw to the end of the smallest attachment. I insert about 1/3 of the straw into the attachment and then seal the connection between the two with a piece of tape (masking or duct), making certain to completely cover any open spaces around the straw. This way, the straw can fit into small tight spaces (like keyboards) and suck out the dirt. I don’t have to purchase a separate machine equipped with small attachments to do the same job.

-- Brandi H., California * * *

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 2024 CREATORS.COM

While most fashions these days are all about comfort, it wasn't always this way. Here's a glimpse at what ladies had to endure to be a chic dresser just a few generations back!

• The crinoline was worn in the 1800s by Victorian women. This bell-shaped petticoat undergarment was originally made of linen stiffened with horsehair in order to spread a skirt wider. The linen crinolines transitioned into cane and whalebone, and finally, the steelhooped cage crinoline, which would provide a skirt circumference of about six yards, with a diameter of six feet. It wasn’t unusual for petticoats to weigh 30 lbs.

• In 1859, a New York factory employed 1,000 girls, who fabricated 300,000 yards of steel wire every week to produce up to 4,000 crinoline frames per day. Another New York factory used a ton of steel each week for the manufacturing.

• The sheer size of skirts presented a danger to their wearers, with 19 deaths occurring in a two-month period. One young lady died from severe burns after her large skirt caught fire when embers from the fireplace sparked a blaze.

• In order to achieve the smallest possible waist, women (and sometimes men!) wore tight, rigid corsets, tightly snugged with up to 50 laces. Whalebone stays further reshaped the body, later

replaced by steel stays. These uncomfortable undergarments were responsible for depleted lung volume and changes in breathing, even to the point of fainting. Women were unable to raise their arms above their heads. Designers touted the benefits to posture of the inflexible corset, since it was impossible to slouch.

• Medical journals of the late 1800s published articles against the confining devices. In an 1890 newspaper editorial entitled, “Death from Tight Lacing,” several doctors blamed the garment for deformity to the ribs, damage to internal organs, birth defects, and miscarriages.

• During World War I, the U.S. War Board asked for the elimination of corsets in order to free up steel for war production. The result was the conservation of some 28,000 tons of metal, enough to build two battleships.

• Another fashion that prevented a woman from raising her arms was the gigot sleeve, or leg o’mutton sleeve as it was commonly called. The dresses of 19th-century women had extremely full puffed sleeves that ballooned at the shoulders, then tapered down the arm to a tight cuff. In order to obtain the puffy shape, padding of muslin or whalebone hoops were inserted into the sleeve. Sometimes the puffy shoulders were so large, it was impossible to go through a doorway without turning sideways.

• The bustle prevented a woman from sitting back in a chair. A large amount of fabric gathered at the rear of a dress created a shelflike extension, which was puffed up with large cushions filled with straw or horsehair, just above a woman’s posterior. Slang terms for the bustle were “bum rolls,” “bearers,” and “cork rumps.”

• The uncomfortable hobble skirt came along in the 1910s. A French designer debuted his creation of a long, close-fitting skirt, so narrow at the ankles that it forced women to take tiny little steps, “hobbling” along in the latest style. The fashion was deemed dangerous as one misstep could result in tripping, falling, and even broken bones.

• TIME magazine may have named it as the top fashion statement of 2010, but Lady Gaga’s was a smelly creation. In 2010, the famous singer wore a dress to the MTV Video Music Awards fashioned entirely out of raw beef, specifically flank steak from the designer’s family butcher, sewn onto a corset. She complemented the look with high heel shoes encased in slivers of meat and tied with butcher’s twine.

• The dress went on display at the Rock and

by Dana Jackson

Q: When is the movie “Wicked” coming out? Will it be one of those live musicals on TV like they did with “The Sound of Music”? -- H.G.

A: “Wicked,” a prequel to the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” is a musical, but it won’t air live on television. It will be released in movie theaters as a two-part film series -- the first releasing on Nov. 27, 2024 and the second a year later. It’s a film adaptation of the Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical, which was based on the novel written by Gregory Maguire.

“Wicked” the motion picture will star Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland, otherwise known as Glinda the Good Witch, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch. The film adaptation appears to be in good hands with director Jon M. Chu at the helm. He’s also directed the hit film “Crazy Rich Asians” and the well-received musical film “In the Heights.”

Chu recently thanked his cast and crew on social media, stating it was “the most ambitious cinematic production I have ever been a part of, or, frankly, ever witnessed.”

***

Q: What can I look forward to seeing Tom Ellis in now that “Lucifer” has ended? Does he have another series lined up? -- D.L.

A: British actor Tom Ellis gained fame here in the United States for his portrayal of the DC Comics character Lucifer Morningstar. Netflix aired “Lucifer” after Fox chose not to renew it for a fourth season, and it continued on the streaming giant for a total of six seasons.

Please

Next up for Ellis is a new series called “Second Wife,” that he’s co-producing with his wife, Meaghan Oppenheimer, for Hulu. It stars Ellis and Emma Roberts (“American Horror Story”) as a couple who spontaneously marry after meeting in London. The half-hour dramedy doesn’t have a premiere date yet, but it’s expected sometime in 2024.

Office:

If you can’t wait to see more of Ellis, you can catch him in the upcoming Netflix film “Players” with Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) this Valentine’s Day. You can also see him in the limited series “Washington Black,” based on the bestselling novel by Esi Edugyan. It co-stars Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) and can be streamed later this year on Hulu.

So, it looks like you won’t be experiencing a dearth of Tom Ellis projects for much longer! ***

Q: Why isn’t Maksim Chmerkovskiy on “Dancing with the Stars” anymore? He was my favorite pro on the show. -- A.C.

Please

(Go

A: Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy hasn’t been part of the ABC dance competition show since 2017, but has been sorely missed by his fans. His wife, Peta Murgatroyd, and his brother, Val, are still pros on “Dancing with the Stars,” but Maks has been busy with other projects. He’ll be a judge on the upcoming season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he’s a celebrity contestant on the current season of “The Traitors” on Peacock.

Send me your

* * *

(c)

1. Mean Girls

(PG-13) Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp

1. Split ................................ (PG-13) James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy

2. Rings (PG-13)

Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Alex Roe

2. The Beekeeper (R) Jason Statham, Emmy RaverLampman

February 13, 2017

3. Wonka (PG) Timothee Chalamet, Gustave Die

3. A Dog’s Purpose (PG) Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid

4. Hidden Figures ....................(PG)

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer

4. Migration (PG) Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks

5. La La Land (PG-13) Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

5. Anyone But You (R) Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell

6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (R) Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen

6. Poor Things (R) Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo

7. Sing (PG) animated

7. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (PG-13) Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson

8. Godzilla Minus One (PG-13) Minami Hamabe, Sakura Ando

8. Lion ................................ (PG-13) Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman

9. The Space Between Us .. (PG-13) Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield

9. American Fiction (R) Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross

10. xXx: Return of Xander Cage .................................... (PG-13) Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen

10. Night Swim (PG-13) Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon

© 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Good Recipes from

Oat and Almond Breakfast Bars

These delicious breakfast bars are full of old-fashioned, good-for-you oats.

1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cups honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar

1/2 cups sliced almonds

1/2 cups toasted wheat germ

1/2 cups raisins

3/4 teaspoons salt

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick foil (if not using nonstick, lightly grease foil).

2. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir oil, honey, vanilla and egg until mixed. In large bowl, with fork, mix oats, flour, sugar, almonds, wheat germ, raisins and salt until combined. With rubber spatula, stir honey mixture into oat mixture until blended; scrape into prepared pan. With wet hand, pat oat mixture evenly into pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until pale golden around edges. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 1 hour.

4. When cool, transfer using foil to cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Store in tightly sealed container at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Makes 24 bars.

total fat (1g saturated), 3g protein, 22g carbohydrate, 9mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber.

Asian Coleslaw

A crisp low-calorie side dish. To cut prep time, use a food processor to slice the cabbage and shred the carrots.

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large head Savoy cabbage

1 bag carrots, whole or shredded

4 green onions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. In large bowl, with a wire whisk or fork, mix rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil and salt.

2. Add cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro; toss well. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate. Makes 16 servings.

2/11 Super Bowl LVIIl

2/12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

2/13 Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday

2/14 Valentine's Day

2/15 Susan B. Anthony Day

2/16 National Caregivers Day

2/17 Random Acts of Kindness Day

Cody’s Corner

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis Creators News Service

Wrong Dog in the Doghouse

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” -- Mark Twain

Usually, when I write of training, I’m referring to a dog. But there are times when only a coin flip can decide who -- dog or master -- is in greater need of education. This letter from a reader is one of those times.

“We got our Doberman, Sasha, from a breeder when she was eight weeks old. She’s now four.

“When she first came to live at our house, we had a male pug named Max and a female black Lab named Quincy, who stays outside in a kennel. Max and Sasha loved each other, but Sasha didn’t love Quincy. They got into a few fights when Quincy came inside on winter nights. Sasha always went after her neck, but Quincy was never hurt.

“A few weeks later, Max died from unknown diabetes. We tried to bring Sasha around other dogs, but she wouldn’t accept them.

“Then, when Sasha was a year old, we found kittens in a woodpile. She loved them! She thought they were her babies. So we kept a male cat we call Patch, and those two never had any problems, except for one time when Patch scratched Sasha. But Sasha didn’t fight back.

“We also have a parakeet that Sasha loves to stalk and chase around.

“So far, Sasha has bitten six people; three of them had to go to the hospital for stitches. Two of the people she bit live in the house, me being one and my mom the other. She bit me to the extent that I had to get plastic surgery on my cheek.

“She also has bitten my aunt and three friends who walked into my house without me accompanying them -- which is understandable but not tolerable.

“A few weeks ago, we brought a puppy that we wanted to keep home to see Sasha. He is a Boxer-black Lab mix. Sasha loved him. It’s obvious that

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 10

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles © King

Stay ready for the next storm

In many areas of the country it’s already been a harsh winter. Snow, ice, wind, flooding ... we’ve seen it all, sometimes even several of those at the same time. It can be especially distressing if we haven't prepared for these sudden situations ahead of time.

I'm a believer in keeping myself prepared and ready to face whatever weather extreme that may befall us. So I'm going to share some of my preparedness strategies here in hopes that you might consider using them to keep yourself ready for whatever mother nature may decide to throw at us.

The first step is to know what’s coming, and when. While the local news and weather can be your trusted source, having other options can’t hurt. I like Wunderground (also known as Weather Underground) for the way it can target my area and provide a wide variety of information. Keep www.wunderground.com as one of the bookmarks in your computer or get the app for your phone at the App store or Google Play.

Keep your devices charged up. A neighbor loaned me a handy charging gadget that stores enough battery “juice” to charge up a phone. I’ve since purchased one of my own.

Keep an eye on your prescriptions and know when you’ll run out. Ask your pharmacist if you can get your refill a bit early, ahead of the next storm. How far in advance you can do this will vary by state, so check with your druggist.

Have a list of contact numbers, written and taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door. Don’t trust important numbers to only your cell phone.

Have at least three days of water and food on hand, including things that don’t need to be cooked in case your power goes out. The same goes for your pets: Make sure you have enough of their food on hand.

Don’t wait until the last minute to put gas in your car. Make it a habit to always fill up as soon as the needle gets down to half a tankfull.

Invest in a small battery-operated radio as a backup. Make sure you have working flashlights at home and in your car, and keep enough batteries on hand. Keep a "go bag" in your car trunk stocked with non-perishible snacks, boots, blankets, clothing and first-aid kit.

And perhaps most importantly, pre-arrange communications with a few others in case of a major storm disaster.

For more ideas, go to the AARP disaster preparation page at AARP.org/disasterprep com.

* * * 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)

she always wanted to play with other dogs, but was just too scared.

“We’ve had the puppy for about four weeks now. The second week, Sasha bit him on the nose when he tried to walk over to her food bowl. She has growled at Patch a few times when he did this, but she never bit. The puppy wasn’t hurt.

“Today, though, Sasha clamped down on the puppy’s head when he jumped up onto the couch where Sasha was sitting. The puppy might not survive.

“We love our Sasha with everything in us, and nobody wants to get rid of her or put her down. She really is a great dog! She has never been abused, beaten or deprived of anything, and we don’t understand why she acts like this. Is she just jealous?”

The issues at hand are plentiful, but jealousy is not among them. Multiple female dogs in one house is not advisable -- they are prone to fighting over dominance and territory. Providing an aggressive dog a throne, such as a couch, bed or other piece of furniture usually reserved for humans, only elevates an already existing sense of entitlement. And failing to act at the first sign of aggression invites the unwanted behavior to stay.

But primary among them stands the issue of judgment. The wrong dog is in the doghouse. Until the owners recognize this, no person, dog, cat or parakeet in this house is safe.

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.

COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM

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

2. In Joshua 10, which people were killed by great stones which were cast down from heaven? a) Amorites b) Samaritins c) Canaanites d) Egyptians

3. From Genesis 2:24, what phrase describes the marriage of a man and a woman? a) A good thing b) God's reward c) Holy Matrimony d) One flesh

4. Which insect is mentioned in the book of James as an eater of garments? a) Gnat b) Moth c) Hornet d) Spider

5. What king of Bashan had an iron bed 13 and a half feet long? a) Edrei b) Argob c) Og d) Senir

6. On which day of creation was the sun made? a) First b) Fourth c) Fifth d) Sixth

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.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

How Your Retirement Benefit Is Calculated

Q: Even though I’m not on Social Security, I’ve been reading your column for years. A while back, I had clipped out a column you wrote explaining how benefits are figured. And now that I’m getting ready to file for benefits, I can’t find that column. Can you please reprint it? And I also have a question. I do recall that you said a benefit is based on your highest 35 years of earnings. But I saw something on the Social Security Administration website that said it’s a 40-year base. Have the rules changed?

A: I checked my past columns, and it’s been about a year since I explained how Social Security retirement benefits are figured. So, I guess it’s about time I do it again. And I’ll also explain why I’m right when I say it’s a 35-year base of earnings, and how the SSA website also is right when they say a 40-year base!

In a nutshell, a Social Security retirement benefit is a percentage of your average monthly income using your highest 35 years of inflationadjusted earnings.

So, what’s this 40-year base all about? Well, when you file for retirement benefits, the Social Security Administration will look at your earnings history and pull out your highest 40 years. They don’t have to be consecutive. But from that 40-year base, they drop out your five lowest years. So they end up using your highest 35 years of earnings to figure your benefit. If you don’t have 35 years of earnings, the SSA must plug in an annual salary of $0 for every year you did not work, until the 35year base is reached.

However, before they add up those “high 35,” they index each year of past earnings for inflation. And this is where the formula starts to get messy. That’s because there is a different adjust ment factor for each year of earnings, and each year’s adjustment factor is different based on your year of birth.

Here is a quick example. If you were born in 1962 and earned $20,000 in 1991, they would multiply those earnings by an inflation adjust ment factor of 2.9, meaning they would actually use $58,000 as your 1991 earnings. But if you were born in 1960 and earned that same $20,000 in 1991, they would use an inflation factor of 2.5, resulting in $50,000 as the 1991 earnings used in your Social Security computation.

depending on your year of birth. As an example, here is the formula for someone born in 1960. You take the first $1,024 of average monthly income and multiply it by 90%. You take the next $5,148 of your average monthly income and multiply that by 32%. And you take any remainder and multiply it by 15%.

You can find a complete breakdown of those computation “bend points” at www.socialsecurity. gov. Or just Google “Social Security bend points” to find several sites that should help you.

Believe it or not, that was the simple explanation for those who just want some kind of idea of how their Social Security retirement benefit will be figured. To summarize, it is a percentage of your average monthly income using your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings. If this was a college course, you could think of it as Social Security Benefit Computation 101.

But now I’m going to get into more advanced version of retirement benefit calculations for those who want to know the nitty-gritty of the process.

I’ll start by introducing this term: the “primary insurance amount,” or PIA. The PIA is your basic retirement benefit upon which all future calculations will be based. The “raw PIA” is actually calculated at age 62. In other words, when the SSA pulls out your highest 35 years of earnings, they only use earnings up to age 62. Then that raw PIA gets “cooked,” or increased, to take into account any earnings you had after age 62 and to include any cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that were authorized for Social Security benefits after the year you reached age 62.

But it gets a little tricky when SSA does the recomputation for any earnings you have after age 62. If you worked full time until age 67, for example, you would assume that those earnings between age 62 and 67 would increase your PIA. After all,

you figure, they are some of your highest-earning years, so they will become part of that “high 35.”

But not necessarily. For reasons I can’t take the time to explain in this short column, earnings after age 60 are not indexed for inflation. They get calculated at current dollar value only. So, if your “raw PIA” was based on a full 35-year history of high inflation-adjusted earnings, your current earnings may not be high enough to become part of your “high 35,” so they won’t increase your benefit. Or they might bump up the PIA, but not by much.

In fact, I hear from readers all the time who tell me that they are confused because the benefit estimate they are getting from the SSA now (at age 67, let’s say) is not much more than the estimate they got back at age 62. Their current benefit estimate includes the COLA increases, but either little or no bump for their post-62 earnings. The reason is that lack of inflation indexing after age 60.

As you can see, the Social Security retirement benefit formula is pretty messy. But for most of you, I would say, don’t worry about it. Just let the SSA do it for you. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov, and click on the “Plan for Retirement” icon on the homepage. It will walk you through the process of finding out what your Social Security benefit will be. * * *

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. (If ordering the “Simple and Smart” book from Amazon, click on “See all formats and editions” to make sure you are getting the 2024 edition.) 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.

You can find a complete breakdown of those inflation adjustment factors for each year of birth at the Social Security Administration’s website: www.socialsecurity.gov. If you have a hard time negotiating that website, just Google “Social Security indexing factors” and it will lead you to the right place.

The next step in the retirement computation formula is to add up your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings. Then you divide by 420 -- that’s the number of months in 35 years -- to get your average inflation-adjusted monthly income.

The final step brings us to the “social” part of Social Security. The percentage of your average monthly income that comes back to you in the form of a Social Security benefit depends on your income. In a nutshell, the lower your average wage, the higher percentage rate of return you get. Once again, the actual formula is messy and varies

CLIP AND SAVE

Ablation is Only Recommended If Meds Are Intolerable

Treatment is designed to relieve symptoms and reduce stroke risk -- your cardiologist has already achieved both of these aims pretty well. The carvedilol is a beta blocker that helps keep the heart rate under control, and Xarelto is effective at reducing stroke risk.

VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

The records center has caught up

Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours

In my opinion, there isn’t a need to consider another treatment like an ablation, which has a small but real potential for serious side effects. In fact, it is not 100% effective; about 70% to 75% of patients are symptom-free a year after the procedure. Many people need to continue anticoagulants like Xarelto even after a successful catheter ablation.

Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.

Office: 760-320-0997

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 67-year-old man who developed typical atrial flutter two years ago, but I haven’t had any symptoms that I am aware of. I don’t have a history of heart problems. My heart rate was 117 bpm while experiencing atrial flutter.

My cardiologist recommended an ablation, as that can be curative. He specializes in electrophysiology. The ablation was successful, and my heart rate was in the low 60s afterward.

Six months ago, atrial fibrillation (AFib) showed up, but again, there weren’t any real symptoms for me. My heart rate is nice and low, and I never really feel any problems ... perhaps some fatigue. But at 67, I can’t always distinguish this from the feeling of getting older. I’m on Xarelto and a low dose of carvedilol. My blood pressure is good.

Is it worth having an ablation of the pulmonary veins to try and stop AFib? Or is it better to just live with an irregular heart beat? Apparently, it’s best to have an ablation sooner rather than later, so I’ll need to decide as soon as possible. -- D.S.

ANSWER: Atrial flutter is an abnormally fast heart rhythm that starts in one of the top chambers of the heart, usually the right atrium. The heart rate in the atria is very fast, typically 240-300 bpm, which is faster than any adult heart can beat. It is common that every other impulse in the atria gets transmitted to the ventricle, so a pulse rate in the range of 120-150 bpm would be typical.

Please

I recommend ablation for people who cannot tolerate medication treatment for their symptoms.

The National Personnel Records Center, part of the National Archives and Records Administration, has finally cleared up a huge, four-year backlog of work. At one time, caused by the Covid pandemic, they had a list of 600,000 requests for records.

email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630

* * *

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

(c) 2024 North America Synd., Inc.

From what we hear, it was a crazy time, with only a certain number of emergency personnel allowed to work in the building at once to take care of must-have requests for things like documents for funerals and medical emergencies.

Now allowed back to work, they’ve dealt with longer hours for staff, working weekends, additional staff and shifts, new technology and much more. At this point they’ve caught up, and ideally any normal requests for separation records should be handled within a week or so, with other types of records taking approximately 20 days. Meanwhile, they receive over 4,000 new requests each day. That’s over a million per year.

The vast majority of the records at the record center are paper copies that must be found by hand. They’ve been busy digitizing all the files they can find, including asking the VA to digitize all the military service records they hold. In addition, the eVetRecs portal has been upgraded to handle requests for files online, and there is now a phone line to check the status of orders.

Catheter ablation prevents the progression of the fast impulse to the rest of the heart, and it is successful 65% to 100% of the time in various studies. Unfortunately, studies have also shown that somewhere between 7% and 44% of those who had a successful catheter ablation for atrial flutter will later have a recurrence -- or more commonly develop AFib.

This is called a chaotic arrythmia and can cause a fast heart rate, but more importantly, the lack of coordinated heart contractions in the atria can predispose people to the development of a clot in the atrium. The clot can then float downstream where it can lodge and cause damage, specifically a stroke. Each year, a percentage of 5% of people with AFib will develop a stroke without treatment.

The fire of 1973 continues to impact efforts to produce records. With 16-18 million files reduced to ash, it’s been necessary over the years to reconstruct information from various sources and locations to produce the requested files, such as DD Form 214. Some of the alternate records they can search are final pay vouchers and medical/ hospital records.

Staff at the records center should be applauded for their work under less than ideal conditions. I personally wondered if they would ever catch up, even with their plan of action and status report one year ago, but they have.

If you need to request service records, go to vetrecs.archives.gov/VeteranRequest/ home.html and file your order online.

* * *

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

Does Medicare Cover Weight-Loss Treatments?

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Does Medicare cover any weight-loss treatments for overweight retirees? I just turned 65 and I need to lose about 95 pounds. I would like to know if Medicare can help cover expenses for this.

-- Overweight Oscar

Dear Oscar: Traditional Medicare does indeed cover some weight-loss treatments like counseling and certain types of surgery for overweight beneficiaries, but unfortunately it does not cover weight-loss programs or medications. Here’s what you should know:

Who’s Eligible

For beneficiaries to receive available Medicare-covered weight-loss treatments your body mass index (BMI), which is an estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight, must be 30 or higher.

A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese and increases your risk for many health conditions, such as some cancers, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and sleep apnea. To find out your BMI, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator that you can access online at nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/ lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

What’s Covered

If you find that your BMI is 30 or higher, Medicare Part B will cover up to 12 months of weight-loss counseling conducted by a medical professional in a primary care setting (like a doctor’s office).

Most counseling sessions entail an initial obesity screening, a dietary assessment and behavioral therapy designed to help you lose weight by focusing on diet and exercise.

Medicare also covers certain types of bariatric and metabolic surgery for morbidly obese beneficiaries who have a BMI of 35 or above and have at least one underlying obesityrelated health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease. You must also show that you’ve

tried to lose weight in the past through dieting or exercise and have been unsuccessful.

These procedures make changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight and improve the health of your metabolism.

Some common bariatric surgical procedures covered include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the stomach to a small pouch that makes you feel full even following small meals. And laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, which inserts an inflatable band that creates a gastric pouch encircling the top of the stomach.

What’s Not Covered

Unfortunately, original Medicare does not cover weight-loss programs such as fitness or gym memberships, meal delivery services, or popular weight-loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Noom and WW (formerly Weight Watchers).

Medicare also does not cover any weightloss drugs, but it does cover FDA approved diabetes drugs that have unintentionally become very popular for weight loss.

Medicare Part D plans cover Ozempic and Mounjaro for diabetes only, not for weight loss. So, your doctor will need to prescribe these medications for diabetes in order to get them covered.

Medicare also does not cover Wegovy or Zepbound because they’re approved only for weight loss.

The reason behind the weight-loss drug omission is the Medicare Modernization Act, which specifically excluded them back when the law was written 20 years ago. This act also excluded drugs used for cosmetic purposes, fertility, hair growth and erectile dysfunction.

Without insurance, weight-loss medications are expensive, often costing $1,000 to $1,300 a month. To help curb costs, try websites like GoodRX.com or SingleCare.com to find the best retail prices in your area. Or, if your income is limited, try patient assistance programs through Eli Lilly (LillyCares.com) which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound, or Novo Nordisk (NovoCare.com) the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy.

Medicare Advantage

If you happen to be enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage plan, you may have cover-

by Anne McCollam

Colonial Style Revived in Mid-20th Century

Q: Enclosed is a photo of a chest of drawers that was part of a set. It has a metal tag with the words “Thomasville Chair Company -- Character Furniture Since 1904.”

sets. Each dish is decorated with pink, yellow and white flowers against a white background, and it’s trimmed in gold. Included with the mark are the letters and numbers “M 43 - N 8.”

I would like to know what this small set was used for and what it is worth. Also, is the set considered collectible?

A: Homer Laughlin China Company made your dishes. The factory was founded in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1877. It has manufacturing plants in several other cities.

● On Feb. 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Gary Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Kasparov was ultimately victorious and bested Deep Blue with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize.

● On Feb. 11, 1858, Marie-Bernarde Soubirous, a 14-year-old French peasant girl, claims to have seen the Virgin Mary. The apparitions occurred in a grotto of a rock promontory near Lourdes, France. Today millions of people travel to Lourdes every year to visit the grotto, whose waters supposedly have curative powers.

I called a local antiques dealer/appraiser to ask his opinion. I told him it was made by Thomasville in the early 1940s and asked if it is valuable. He said, “Probably not.” Then he hung up on me. I still have the original price tag that says the set cost $600.

Anything you can tell me about this chest will be appreciated.

A: You have an American Colonial Revival chest. The style was popular in the early to mid1900s.

Thomasville Chair Company produced several lines of bedroom and living room furniture based in early 1800s designs. Thomasville was founded in North Carolina in 1904 and recently closed.

There is not a large interest in Colonial Revival furniture and it would probably be worth $50 to $75. * * *

Q: This mark is on a set of china dishes that I purchased at an estate sale from a 90-year-old friend. The set consists of six fivepiece place settings and includes a small platter. The pieces are smaller than most dinner

GO FIGURE

SOLUTION

The smaller size of your set would indicate it is a luncheon set. “Virginia Rose” is the name of a specific shape that was decorated in at least 12 different patterns. This popular shape was introduced in 1929 and was in production until the early 1970s.

The patterns were variations of pink flowers and were decals, rather than hand-painted. “M 43 -- N 8” shows your set was made in 1943 at Plant 8. Although Laughlin dishes are collectible, they are not rare and usually modestly priced.

The value of your set would probably be $125 to $200.

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

● On Feb. 12, 1912, Hsian-T’ung, the last emperor of China, is forced to abdicate. A provisional government was established in his place, ending 267 years of Manchu rule in China and 2,000 years of imperial rule. The former emperor was only six years old.

● On Feb. 13, 1945, the most controversial episode in the Allied air war against Germany begins as hundreds of British bombers descend on Dresden, Germany. With two days, the city was a smoldering ruin. Dresden had been regarded as one the world’s most beautiful cities for its architecture and museums.

New book about ticks and fleas who couldn't find proper hosts: "Parasites Lost."

● On Feb. 14, 1962, President John F. Kennedy authorizes U.S. military advisers in Vietnam to return fire if fired upon. Kennedy was acknowledging that U.S. forces were involved in the fighting, but he wished to downplay any appearance of increased American involvement in the war.

● On Feb. 15, 1950, Walt Disney’s animated feature “Cinderella” opens in theaters. Disney’s full-length animated feature films began in 1937 with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Disney had risked $1.5 million of his own money on the venture.

● On Feb. 16, 1923 in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. The chamber was virtually intact, with its treasures and the perfectly preserved mummy of King Tut untouched after more than 3,000 years.

(c) 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.

Homer Laughlin China Company was established in East Liverpool Ohio, in 1877.

Thomasville Chair Company was founded in 1904.

hundreds of thousands of Allied troops from the Battle of Dunkirk.

• The largest castle in the world is Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. Construction began in 870, with several expansions over the centuries, resulting in a total area of 750,000 square feet situated on 110 acres. It’s been the home for kings of Bohemia, Roman emperors, and Czechoslovakian presidents. Despite its age, Prague Castle continues as the official residence of the president of the Czech Republic. The Bohemian Crown Jewels, dating back to the 14th century, are kept in a hidden chamber in the castle’s cathedral, a barely accessible room with seven locks. The key to each lock is kept by seven different men. Upwards of 1.8 million people visit Prague Castle every year.

• Dracula’s Castle of lore and legend is a real place! Bran Castle, built in 1377, is located in Brasov, Romania, about 100 miles north of the capital city of Bucharest. Although Irish author Bram Stoker never visited the castle, his description is remarkably accurate as depicted in his famous 1897 novel. Today, the castle is owned by Prince Dominic HabsburgLothringen, the grandson of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania, the final rulers of the country.

• If you'd like your vacation adventure to include a tour through an authentic Medieval castle or even book a room for an overnight stay, you'll find lots of choices at ask.com/lifestyles/10castle-hotels-you-can-stay-in and other related sites. And, yes, they now have electricity and indoor plumbing! 

1. MOVIES: Which movie has the tagline, “May the odds be ever in your favor”?

2. GEOGRAPHY: Which country possesses Baffin Island?

3. AD SLOGANS: Which company’s slogan is, “You’re in good hands”?

4. LANGUAGE: What is a common saying for the Latin phrase “lapsus linguae”?

5. MUSIC: What country was home to reggae singer Bob Marley?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is an example of a macropod?

7. TELEVISION: Gordon, Percy, James, Toby and Emily are characters on which children’s show?

8. MATH: What is 1/60 of a degree?

9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the book series “The Chronicles of Narnia”?

by Linda Thistle

10. ACRONYMS: What does the acronym SPF stand for? Answers

1. “The Hunger Games.”

2. Canada.

3. Allstate.

4. A slip of the tongue.

5. Jamaica.

6. Kangaroo.

7. “Thomas the Tank Engine.”

8. A minute.

9. C.S. Lewis.

10. Sun Protection Factor.

3, Hillsborough Castle

4. Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. 5.