Vol. 22: #17 • Eponyms • (4-19-2026) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

by Kathy Wolfe

Although the word itself is really not part of our everyday vocabulary, eponyms, whether you know it or not, are definitely part of our everyday speech. An eponym is a word that is based on the name of a person or place. Itʼs used to show the connection between that person and their discoveries, inventions, or other notable events. This week Tidbits shows some examples of common words we use all the time, and where they came from in the first place.

• We’ve heard it said that some particular thing is “named after” or “named for” someone or some place. So which term is correct? Actually, both are right and are interchangeable, although “named after” is a bit more commonly used.

DESCRIPTIVE ORIGINS

• Irish tenant farmers were devastated by crop failures in 1880, and unable to pay the rent, were threatened with eviction by greedy landlords. One of the country’s nationalist leaders, Charles Parnell, declared that landlords who evicted these needy tenants should be ostracized by the locals.

TRIV

TRIVIA NEWSFRONTAIVIRT TNORFSWEN

(Answers on page 16)

1. GEOGRAPHY: Which country is also known to residents as Hellas?

2. U.S. STATES: Which state is the least populated?

3. ENTERTAINERS: Which show launched the career of comedian/actor Jim Carrey?

4. MOVIES: What museum is featured in the movie “Night at the Museum”?

5. HISTORY: When was Earth Day first celebrated?

6. MUSIC: Which song begins with the lines, “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy”?

7. TELEVISION: Who starred in the title role of the TV drama “Designated Survivor”?

8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the only sport that has been played on the moon?

9. LITERATURE: What is the name of the language used in the novel “1984”?

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of giraffes called?

V’room, v’room! This week, Tidbits fires up the history of Hot Wheels, the wildly-successful toys introduced in 1968.

• In 1945, Matt Matson and Elliot Handler established a toy company in a garage, calling it Mattel, a combination of both their names.

• In 1959, Elliotʼs wife Ruth was inspired to create an 11.5-inch doll after watching her daughter play with paper dolls for hours on end. She named her creation after her daughter, Barbara, and the Barbie doll was born.

• Nine years later, in 1968, her husband Elliot came up with a concept to spark interest in boys just as Barbie had for girls.

• The couple’s son Ken loved playing with Matchbox cars, which had been in production since 1952, small-scale models of real vehicles. It was Elliot’s idea to design die-cast customized hot rod race cars, ones with oversized mag wheels, superchargers, and cool flame paint jobs. Mattel enlisted the help of a General Motors car designer and a Yale-educated missile systems engineer for the design process. A former Chrysler designer joined the team in 1969.

• The first Hot Wheels car was a dark blue Custom Camaro, which made its debut in May 1968. Before long, 15 other models joined the Camaro, including the Beatnik Bandit, Custom Barracuda, Custom Corvette, Cougar, Eldorado, Firebird, Mustang, Fleetside, T-Bird, Deora, Ford J-Car, Volkswagen, Hot Heap, Python, and the Silhouette. The 16 first edition cars became known as the “Sweet 16.” Each one was embellished with Spectraflame metallic paint.

• Mattel quickly introduced flexible plastic racing tracks to sell with the cars. The cars’ wheels spun freely on the track due to an axle of a mandolin string and bushings between the axle and wheel made from a low-friction plastic made by DuPont. Sales of upward of 16 million cars were

experienced during the first year.

• The year 1970 brought 43 new cars, including the Whip Creamer, Evil Weevil, Open Fire, and the Double Header, along with a new advertising slogan “Go with the Winner.”

• During the 1980s, Hot Wheels veered away slightly from exclusively hot rods and fast cars to produce that decade’s economy cars including the Ford Escort, Pontiac Fiero, and a Dodge station wagon.

• In 1985, Hot Wheels were part of a Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal promotion, with three limited edition vehicles available with proof of purchase from the boxes.

• In 1990, Ralston included actual cars in the boxes of their new product Hot Wheels Frosted Oat Mag Wheels with Marshmallows.

• Hot Wheels introduced its first helicopter, the Propper Chopper in 1990. The following year, Mattel manufactured its 1 billionth Hot Wheels vehicle.

• In 1992, Matchbox, the first die-cast vehicle, was sold to Tyco, who, in turn, sold the line to Mattel in 1997, making the one-time competitors, Matchbox and Hot Wheels, under the same company banner.

• The concept of Hot Wheels was a car for young children, but they are now a very popular hobby among adult collectors. And they’re valuable! One of the Beach Bomb models, a Volkswagen van introduced in 1969, sold in 2012 for $70,000. Real estate agent Bruce Pascal owns the world’s largest Hot Wheels collection – more than 5,000 cars and 3,000 pieces of memorabilia. It’s valued at about $2 million! 

Eponyms (from page one)

Most landlords adhered to the proclamation, but an English land agent from Ireland’s County Mayo, paid no attention to the edict and evicted all who didn’t make the payment.

• As a result, the agent, Charles Cunningham Boycott was denied supplies by local merchants and abandoned by his servants. The county refused mail delivery to Boycott, and the outof-favor agent finally left and returned to England. The campaign against him led to our term “boycott,” a refusal to have dealings with organizations, merchants, or people to express disapproval of practices.

• A family member suffering from rheumatoid arthritis led to the invention of the whirlpool bath we call a Jacuzzi. To relieve the pain experienced by Candido Jacuzzi’s young son, Candido and his brother Roy invented a hydrotherapy pump with jets that offered therapeutic benefits.

• The family was actually well-known for winemaking, owning a successful vineyard. Their work with a pump was initially designed for agricultural use, but when added to a bathtub, a new industry was born. The brothers introduced jetted bath tubs in 1948, then Jacuzzi hot tubs 1968, which advanced beyond a health aid to a relaxing and recreational product. ***

• James Thomas Brudenell was a 19th-century British Army officer who was the commander of the Charge of the Light Brigade against Russian forces during the Crimean War. Brudenell was also a nobleman, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who supposedly designed a knitted waistcoat when the long tails of his military garment were burned off when standing too close to a fire.

• As a practical garment styled after the wool coats of British officers, cardigans became fashionable and popular beginning in the mid-1850s. In modern times, they were popularized for women by Coco Chanel, who didn’t like having her hair messed up when pulling sweaters over her head.

ADVERTISING PROOF

***

• Another British Earl, John Montagu, is credited as the inventor of a common snack item used worldwide today. Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich, a gentleman who reportedly enjoyed gambling and didn’t like being interrupted during intense card games.

• During such a game in 1762 the Earl was hungry, but didn't want to interrupt his play. So he ordered his chef to create something he could eat using just one hand while playing with the other. After some thought, the chef produced a piece of cooked beef between two slices of toasted bread. It worked, and the Earl was delighted.

French diplomat Michel Begon was a devoted botanist, studying plants and collecting specimens during his travels. While serving as governor of Santo Domingo during the 17th century, he discovered an herb with beautiful leaves and flowery clusters. He brought it home to France, where it became a popular choice among French gardeners. As a tribute to its discoverer, it was named the begonia.

you’re wearing a garment named for another athlete, French acrobatic performer Jules Leotard. Leotard was an aerialist responsible for the art of trapeze, a skill he developed by practicing routines with bars, ropes, and rings suspended over a swimming pool. He designed, created, and made popular the garment that was named for him.

1. What television celebrity helped make cardigan sweaters popular?

Betty McDonald - The Wellness Place Business Card, Full Color, 13x Feb. 1, 2026 • Vol. 22: #6

2. What vodka and tomato drink is named after an English Queen?

• When word of his new creation spread throughout the countryside, it was quickly copied and eventually became known for the Earlʼs domain of Sandwich.

***

ADVERTISING PROOF

• If youʼre a fan of the popular form of workout known as Pilates, you know itʼs designed to strengthen your core muscles and improve your flexibility. But you may not know that the fitness course is named for its creator, German physical trainer Joseph Pilates.

• Pilates began teaching the moves in a New York City studio in 1926. As a child, Pilates had been quite sickly, suffering from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. His father, a prize-winning gymnast, and his mother, a naturopath, guided him in a path of improving his physical strength through body-building, gymnastics, yoga, and martial arts.

• Before immigrating to the United States in 1925, he was a prize fighter and a self-defense trainer for Scotland Yard. Pilates and his wife taught a series of exercises for helping people gain strength and flexibility following an injury. He also designed apparatuses to aid in rehabilitation and received 26 patents for his inventions. Pilates was the author of several books, incorporating the more than 600 exercises he had developed. Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967. Today, an estimated 12 million people practice Pilates.

• If you attend your Pilates class wearing a leotard,

By Lucie Winborne

* Most volcanoes spit out magma, ash and gas when they erupt, but a few rarer ones have been known to eject diamonds.

* The longest recorded burp lasted one minute and 13 seconds.

* Some German nursing homes use fake bus stops as a way to round up patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia who seek to return home via public transportation. A staff member approaches and lets them know that the bus will be late, then invites them inside to wait more comfortably. Within a short time, the incident is typically forgotten.

* Bald himself, Hippocrates recommended a treatment consisting of pigeon droppings, opium, beetroot, horseradish and spices to cure hair loss. No, it wasn’t successful.

* The wood frog can hold its urine for up to eight months.

* Some libraries and museums loan out taxidermied animals as teaching aids.

* For decades, Iceland maintained one of the strictest naming regimes in the world through the Icelandic Naming Committee, which reviewed applications to ensure personal names complied with Icelandic grammar and cultural tradition.

* Folks with less nose hair have a higher risk of developing asthma.

* In 2018, six medical professionals each swallowed a LEGO minifigure head to determine whether it could pass without medical intervention, and how long it would take. (In case you’re wondering, it was in an average of 1.7 days.)

by Mary Hunt

Ask Me Anything: Secured Cards, Nail Polish Stains and More

your carpet is color safe, apply the remover to the stained area. Do not rub; simply blot. This may take some time. Just keep blotting until the polish is gone.

If a stain remains, make a solution of 1 teaspoon blue Dawn dishwashing liquid and 1 quart warm water. Apply enough solution to cover the stain, and let it soak for five minutes. Blot the excess moisture and rinse with warm water. Blot thoroughly with a clean cloth. If the stain reappears after drying, repeat. That should do it.

Everyday CHEAPSKATE

by Mary Hunt

Every day, it seems, my virtual mailbag fills up with mail from my dear readers. Many messages include questions about everything you can imagine and some that are beyond imagination! Today, I’ve chosen to answer a small sampling of them.

DEAR MARY: I ruined my credit starting about 10 years ago, in the usual stupid way people do with nonpayment and slow payment. Even though I'm a lot more careful and responsible now, I can't shake the bad credit history. Do you have any suggestions to help me get a credit card? Some transactions, such as car rentals, are impossible without a credit card or debit card. My bank told me they no longer offer secured cards -- Patricia D.

Dear Patricia: Negative credit items will come off your report automatically after seven years; a bankruptcy will stop being reported to the credit bureaus after 10 years. Your report should be cleaning itself if your missteps took place that long ago and your credit reports show a definite change in behavior.

As for getting a secured card, go to the Index Credit Cards website and scroll down the left sidebar to “Credit cards for bad credit.” You will get a list of cards available, including each one’s terms. Read them very carefully. A secured card, by the way, is an excellent way to build your credit. Just make sure that you are not shooting yourself in the wallet by opting for a card that has excessive fees.

ADVERTISING PROOF

DEAR MARY: How do I get red nail polish out of gray carpet? Is this even possible? -- Betty

Earl’s Air Conditioning pg H 4-C 13x March 29, 2026 Vol. 22 - No. 14 MON., MARCH 23

DEAR MARY: We will need a new stove soon. On preliminary pricing, it will cost about $1,800 to replace. We’ve just moved in, and I am not sure when (or whether) we will be remodeling the kitchen. What are your suggestions for a cheap stopgap option? It will cost $600 to fix the problems with the current oven, but we were advised to get a new one because it is 15 years old. -- Cristy M.

Dear Cristy: I’d go with getting your current stove repaired. Let’s say you remodel in five years. If you opt for a new stove now, you may feel compelled to design your new kitchen around a five-year-old stove you purchased to fit an existing space. By repairing your current stove, you’ll not only save money now but also give yourselves more options when it’s time to start over. A lot can happen in five years. I wonder if perhaps the salesman was thinking more about his commission than your best interests when he suggested you should buy a new stove.

DEAR MARY: My mother passed away recently, and she had a credit card balance of $3,500. I had been paying her bills while she was in a nursing home and had no income. As her son, am I now responsible for this credit card debt because she has passed away? -- Frank G

Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630

* Shaquille O’Neal missed 5,317 free throws over the course of his career. ***

Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.

Thought for the Day: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” -- Marcus Aurelius

Dear Betty: Yikes, this is one of the biggest challenges ever. But there is a way. Get some nonacetone nail polish remover that has no fragrance or color added. Next, use a white cloth to perform a test on a hidden part of the carpet (inside a closet or on a piece of remnant) by blotting remover on the carpet. If color transfers to the cloth or the carpet fiber “melts,” call a carpet care professional. If you determine that

Dear Frank: Unless you are named on the account as joint owner, the credit card company, upon notification of her death, will look to her estate for full payment. This means that if she left assets (a home or anything else of value), they must be liquidated to pay her creditors before those assets can be distributed to her heirs. Generally, that will be handled by the executor of her estate (though laws vary from one state to another). If there are no assets, the credit card company has to eat the loss due to the risk they took by lending the money to the credit card account owner.

You specifically mentioned credit card debt; however, I feel compelled to tell you that under Pennsylvania’s filial support law, children can be held responsible for a parent’s unpaid nursing home bill.

Nolo Press has excellent self-help books and information that may help you settle her estate, which includes notifying her creditors, without spending a lot of money on attorney fees. I am sorry for your loss and wish you well in this difficult time. * * *

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 2026 CREATORS.COM

• The instrument of capital punishment known as the guillotine was named for an 18th-century French physician and politician named JosephIgnace Guillotin. Yet Guillotin himself didn’t invent the device.

• Although he was not an advocate of capital punishment, he did promote a more humane method of execution, and felt that a decapitation machine would be a quick means of eliminating prolonged suffering from other common painful techniques, such as burning at the stake, death by boiling, and dismemberment.

• France’s National Assembly commissioned another French physician, Antoine Louis, to invent the apparatus, and Louis named it after himself, the “louisette.” However, due to Guillotin’s promotion of humane capital punishment, it was renamed the guillotine.

***

• Thanks to Ignacio Anaya Garcia, we have the tasty treat known as nachos. Ignacio was an employee of a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico, just across the border from a U.S. military post, Fort Duncan, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

• When a group of military wives stopped by for a meal, the restaurant was closed, but Ignacio had compassion on the women and prepared a dish from kitchen leftovers – fried tortillas, cheese, and jalapeno peppers – placing the platter in the oven for a short time. He called his creation Nacho’s Special, because that was his nickname, a traditional nickname for those named Ignacio. By the 1960s, Ignacio had opened his own restaurant, appropriately dubbed El Nacho.

• William L. Murphy originally called his 1900 invention “The Disappearing Bed,” a spacesaving bed that folded up into the wall behind a door. In fact, his 1908 patent application called it the “In-A-Door Bed.” In 1911, William founded the Murphy Bed Company, and his creation became known as a Murphy bed.

• The beds were incorporated into hotels in New York City, enabling visitors to have a suite, folding up the bed and creating a parlor.

• Murphy wasn’t the first to have a foldaway bed. In 1885, Sarah E. Goode of Chicago received a patent for a bed that folded into a roll-top writing desk. Sarah was the fourth African-American woman in history to be awarded a patent.

***

• Adolphe Sax was born into a family of respected instrument makers, so it was no surprise that this graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels began working on new instruments of his own. Being an accomplished player of both the flute and the clarinet, Sax experimented with an instrument that would be a blend of the two instruments.

• He patented his woodwind invention in 1846, calling it, naturally, the saxophone. He was hoping the saxophone would become an integral part of symphony orchestras, but never gained popularity as an orchestral instrument, but was rather quickly embraced by military bands. It’s now most commonly linked to the jazz genre

• Following his invention of the saxophone Adophe Sax continued experimenting, but sadly died in poverty in 1894.

***

• In 1784, a British artillery officer invented a form of ammunition created from a hollow cannonball filled with lead shot and fitted with an explosive charge. When it exploded in flight, the shot was scattered over a much larger field than the typical single shell.

• Henry Shrapnel named the artillery shell after himself, and his invention was used until the end of World War I, when high-explosive ammunition replaced it. The word shrapnel has come to mean fragments and splinters from exploded shells. 

by Dana Jackson

Q: When is “The Studio” coming back for another season, and how will they explain the loss of Catherine O’Hara’s character?

-- M.E.

A: The critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series “The Studio” was about to begin filming when one of its most beloved stars, Catherine O’Hara, passed away in January. Seth Rogen, who co-created the satiric comedy and also stars in it, says that they will address her absence in the new scripts. O’Hara won a posthumous SAG Actor Award for Best TV Comedy Actress this past March, which Rogen accepted with a lovely speech on her behalf.

Fans of the hit comedy series “Schitt’s Creek” will be disappointed to learn that the show’s creator, Dan Levy, had been contemplating a reboot of the series up until O’Hara’s death. But he gave it no further thought now that the memorable matriarch, Moira Rose, won’t be a part of the ensemble again.

1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (PG) Brie Larson, Virginia Dare Jelenic

2. Project Hail Mary (PG-13) Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller

3. The Drama (R) Zendaya, Robert Pattinson

4. Hoppers (PG) Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan

5. Reminders of Him (PG-13) Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers

6. A Great Awakening (PG-13) John Paul Sneed, Jonathan Blair

7. They Will Kill You (R) Zazie Beetz, Myha’la

8. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (R) Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton

9. Dhurandhar The Revenge (NR) Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna

10. Undertone (R) Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco

© 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

Q: Wasn’t there a “Law & Order” show set in Los Angeles a while back? What ever happened to it? -- R.R.

A: Yes, “Law & Order: LA” is probably the only spin-off from the original series that wasn’t a hit. In fact, despite it taking place in a major city with infinite story possibilities, it was canceled in 2011 after just one season.

The show starred Skeet Ulrich (“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2”) and Alfred Molina (“SpiderMan: No Way Home”) as detectives, Rachel Ticotin (“Total Recall”) as a lieutenant, and Terence Howard (“Empire”) as a district attorney.

In a surprising move, Ulrich’s character was killed off mid-season. According to TVLine, Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC at the time, wasn’t happy with the first batch of episodes. Dick Wolf, who created the “Law & Order” franchise, further explained that Greenblatt didn’t believe the show was “clicking the way it should,” but he was “very supportive of the idea of having Alfred and Terrence in every episode.”

It’s almost as if the series never existed. You can’t stream it on NBC’s Peacock like you can with the other “L&O” spin-offs, including “Criminal Intent,” but “Criminal Intent” lasted for seven seasons, far longer than “LA.” Fortunately, Ulrich’s career didn’t suffer after his dismissal. He’s starred in two very popular horror movie franchises -“Scream” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” -- as well as the hit CW series “Riverdale” for four seasons.

Q: Is “Dark Winds” returning for another season? I recently discovered it. I think there have been four seasons so far. -- S.O.

A: ”Dark Winds” was launched with two very famous names behind it as executive produc-

ers: George R.R. Martin and the late Robert Redford. It began on AMC and has gained ground since Netflix picked it up. Set in the 1970s, “Dark Winds” is based on the novels of Tony Hillerman, and it stars Zahn McClarnon (“Fargo”) and Jessica Matten (“Burden of Truth”) as Navajo Tribal Police officers who investigate crimes in the mysterious and spiritual American Southwest.

Filming for season five recently commenced in Santa Fe, New Mexico, less than two months after season four premiered on Netflix. Look for the next upcoming season to begin airing in early 2027.

Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.

(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

Want to Work for Tidbits?

Tidbits is in need of independent contractor help distributing our newspapers to businesses in the Coachella Valley. A retired husband/wife team is preferred, who wish to supplement their monthly income by driving and distributing to a specified delivery route in the Palm Desert area. Requires year-round commitment of one day per week, either Thursday or Friday, during regular business hours. One person needed to drive; the other to place copies at delivery locations.

Interested parties must posess a responsible work ethic, furnish their own vehicle and auto insurance, and have a friendly demeanor when dealing with the public.

Interested couples call Erik at 760-320-0997 for more details.

Good Recipes from

Easy Ribs Supreme

Only 15 minutes of grilling time! The trick: Steam the ribs for an hour in the oven up to 2 days before barbecuing.

4 teaspoons (grated) fresh ginger, peeled

2 teaspoons (grated) fresh lemon peel

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press 4 racks (about 1 pound each) pork baby back ribs

2 cups BBQ sauce

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In cup, mix ginger, lemon peel, salt and garlic until combined. Rub ginger mixture all over ribs.

2. Place ribs in a large (15 1/2-by-11 1/2inch) roasting pan, overlapping slightly. Pour 2 cups boiling water into roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Steam ribs 1 hour.

3. Carefully remove foil from roasting pan (escaping steam is very hot). Remove ribs from roasting pan, discard water. Ribs may be grilled immediately, or refrigerated up to 2 days before grilling.

4. Place ribs, meat side up, on grill over medium heat, cook 5 minutes, turning once. Turn ribs over, brush with some BBQ sauce and grill 5 minutes. Turn ribs over again, brush with more BBQ sauce, and grill 5 minutes longer.

5. Cut racks into 2-rib portions, serve with remaining sauce. Makes 6 servings.

 Each serving: About 490 calories, 34g total fat (12g saturated), 17g carbohydrate, 28g protein, 77mg cholesterol, 655mg sodium.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Add some tang to your favorite boxed pasta with this easy-to-prepare recipe.

12 ounces linguine

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1. Cook linguine per package directions, adding peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, then drain pasta and peas.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large deep skillet on medium-high. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add lemon juice to skillet and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Add cream cheese and stir until melted; remove from heat.

4. Fold in lemon zest and Parmesan, then parsley. Toss with pasta (adding reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary). Serve immediately. Serves 4.

 Each serving: About 595 calories, 17.5g fat (5.5g saturated), 37g protein, 360mg sodium, 74g carb, 3g fiber.

2026 Hearst Communications, Inc.

Holidays & Observances This Week

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis

Saying Goodbye

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” -- Agnes Sligh Turnbull

My pal Idol died last week. He was 11. We humans console ourselves and each other by saying things like, “Well, 11 is 77 in dog years.” True, but that’s a mathematical conversion that does nothing to diminish my pain. It feels too short. Too soon. It feels that way in my heart and in my bones, but it wasn’t.

Idol was my big, beautiful boy. Whip-smart, playful and always there for me, it was my turn to go to bat for him. He was suffering from a degenerative spinal disease that left him unable to get up, unable to relieve himself. My wife and I made the decision to end his suffering. It wasn’t easy, but it was right.

We knew we were going to do it the next day, and you know tomorrow is going to come, so we said our goodbyes. My wife and I told Idol how much he meant to us, how much he had added to our lives. Did he understand that? Not in our English terms. But he felt our love. He knew.

The next day, we drove him to the veterinary clinic. We had discussed the whole thing with the vet beforehand. The procedure was painless. I held Idol’s head in my lap and told him how much I loved him, how much joy he gave me, how much he helped me.

And then I cried. Not like a baby, but like a grown man who had just lost his dog. That’s what we do when we lose someone we love. If love could be measured in tears, Idol would be pleased with himself.

Then again, what makes dogs so special is that they don’t demand proof of love. They don’t quantify it or keep score or withhold theirs in an attempt to extort ours. They simply give it and give it and give it, never once making the obvious judgment that only a fool would let it go unrealized. I’m proud to know this much of myself: I am no such fool.

I can practically track my life through all my dogs. I can think of no milestone or special occasion that was not intrinsically linked to the ca-

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles © King Features Synd., Inc.

Avoiding Cognitive Decline

Scroll around the internet to look for ideas about avoiding cognitive decline, and you’ll find a wide variety of suggestions and studies. One thing many of them agree on, however, is the value of playing games.

UCLA has it narrowed down to four types in particular. Brain training games came in at the top of their list after they did a review of studies about improving cognitive function.

Brain games in particular were found to help with our ability to plan and focus, to remember information we hear, to recall information and to help with information processing speed.

Crossword puzzles, next on the list, have value even if we only do them once a month. But working them on a regular basis has an even greater impact.

Number puzzles, it is said, can have a powerful impact on memory, reasoning and attention. Again, the more often you do them, the

Finding Your Furniture’s Soul

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a piece of furniture is truly an antique or if it is just plain old. Upon closer look, how furniture is assembled and held together can reveal hints of the time period in which it was built. For some, simply the fact that a piece of furniture is 100 years old immediately qualifies an item as an antique. For others, in addition to age, the quality and the rarity of the item come into question. The name of the game is to sleuth out signs of genuine age.

The first thing to do in determining the age of your furniture is to turn your piece upside down. This simple move will allow you to have a look up close to note any markings, signatures, shipping labels or benchmarks such as square nail heads, staples or over pours of glue. A single unremarkable marking could be your most important clue in deciphering the age of the furniture at hand. Another factor to notice is the type of wood used in the production of the furniture. Exotic woods were often used in furniture prior to the 1960s.Today’s furniture manufacturers, influenced by popular trends and social awareness, have moved to woods that are sustainable and easily replenished. Also important to note when dating a piece of furniture is whether the woods used are solid material or a wood-veneer finish. Generally, veneers were used for inlay patterns on older pieces; yet they are used to finish entire pieces

greater the result.

Last on their list is three-dimensional video games (such as Super Mario). Memory improved after only playing for two weeks. But the various universities and research groups don’t all agree.

Columbia University concluded that crossword puzzles were better than computer video games for memory function. One study that went on for years determined that training for brain processing speed still had benefits decades later.

To be considered: Even if you don’t have any signs of cognitive decline, starting early to keep ahead of it is no doubt valuable. And since the studies don’t agree about which method is best, perhaps we should sample among all of them. A crossword puzzle per day, some time spent on computerized games, working on cognitive brain games for a few hours each week, joining others to work on a jigsaw puzzle, playing chess or mahjong or even solitaire ... surely it all adds up, right?

It’s never too late to start!

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.

(c) KingFeaturesSyndicate2026

of contemporary furniture that are constructed of lesser quality woods.

The next thing to look at is the actual construction of the furniture. Most furniture pieces of quality or that predate the 1960s have dovetailed joints. Any evidence of staples or perfect buttended joints is a sure sign of the computer-aided cutting machines associated with contemporary furniture. Make sure to inspect the runners on drawers for signs of wear. Newer furniture will be void of excess wear. Single slot screws are also a good indicator of age.

Remember to use your nose. When signs are clear as to the age of a piece of furniture, let your nose search for musty odors. Older pieces of furniture and woods develop strong scents that are naturally produced as wood ages.

When it comes to upholstered furniture, you will need to go underneath the fabric to find out whether your furniture is an antique or merely a reproduction. In antique frames, you typically will find different types of woods used to build the frame. Modern manufacturing uses the same type of wood throughout. Hand-carvings on antique frames should feel slightly imperfect to the touch. Finally, up until the 1920s, the stuffing in older upholstered furniture was made of hay and horsehair, with strappings made of burlap and cotton that were individually nailed onto the frame. Post 1920s, synthetic fills and staples became popular.

For those who love antiques, discovery and research is part of the fun. It is a bit like genealogy -- finding the soul of an item.

* * *

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www. creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Cody’s Corner (from page 9)

nines in my life at the time. I’m ever grateful for the albums crammed with pictures of great dogs alongside growing kids, and for the videos that allow me to watch them run, bark and play, that will forever remind me of their voices, quirky habits and the funny faces they made. In Idol’s case, I even kept a lock of his fur.

Someone you love can never live too long. And any dog owner will tell you they never live long enough. Some people deny themselves the transformative experience of canine companionship because they’re afraid of losing the animal, they’re afraid of the pain. Maybe they went through it once and it was so painful they can’t bear to do it again. Or maybe they haven’t yet mustered the courage to risk the searing pain that comes with love, canine or otherwise.

Even now, though, sad as I am, I would do it all over again and again. Yes, I have other dogs at home with me right now. And that helps. But a dog is a dog is a dog is untrue. And while a relationship with a dog may be short in human terms, little else compares to the sweetness of those years.

RIP, Idol -- a dog who loved like a true friend and was loved in kind.

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

When My Word Isn’t Good Enough

Readers are always asking me to explain various Social Security rules and regulations. But sometimes they want more. They want to see something official -- something in “black and white.” In other words, they want me to give them a legal reference for whatever rules I am explaining to them.

I sort of know where they are coming from. Often, they have heard one thing from a friend or a supposed trusted source, such as a financial advisor or even a Social Security representative. And then they read something different in my column or one of my books. I understand their confusion.

So why should they trust me? Well, I’ve been doing this Social Security stuff for more than 50 years now. And most of the program’s rules and regulations are just burned into my brain. I will occasionally need to check something out in the Social Security Administration’s “Program Operations Manual System,” which is the primary resource guide for all SSA employees. POMS takes all of the Social Security laws and turns them into practical instructions for carrying out those laws. Frankly, I haven’t looked at the actual laws for many years now.

Still, I understand that more than a few people would like to see something in writing. Because of the high volume of emails I get, I simply don’t have the time to look everything up for every person who demands to see it in “black and white.” But if you want to do your own research, I have some bits of advice.

First, I strongly recommend starting with the “Social Security Handbook.” The Handbook is a much shorter version of the POMS. If you print-

ed out the entire POMS, it would fill about 20 big three-ring binders. (I know this for a fact because when I worked for the SSA before an electronic version of POMS came along, I had those 20 binders in a bookshelf behind my desk.)

Anyway, the Social Security Handbook is only about 700 pages and fills just one book on my desk. You can find a PDF version at www.socialsecurity.gov. Or simply do a Google search for “Social Security Handbook.” But if you’re an oldfashioned guy like me, you can get a hard copy of the book at any bookseller like Amazon. (It is expensive, though. About a hundred bucks the last time I checked!)

And since I mentioned Amazon, allow me to shamelessly plug my book. It’s an Amazon best seller and is called “Social Security - Simple and Smart.” It’s a collection of fact sheets I have written for my readers over the years. These fact sheets explain almost every facet of the Social Security program. It’s much shorter and simpler than the Social Security Handbook. And it is WAY easier to understand than the POMS. And it is so much more convenient to find what you are looking for in my book rather than trying to wade through all the Social Security rules. If you search for it on Amazon and the 2026 version doesn’t pop up, look for a box that says, “See all formats and editions,” and then click on the 2026 edition.

Having plugged my book, I totally understand that it’s not good enough for some people. They want to see the actual rules and regulations. If you are not satisfied with the Social Security Handbook, you are going to have to delve into the thousands and thousands of pages of POMS.

You can find POMS online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and click on “Research and policy.” On the page that pops up, scroll down until you see a link labeled “Program Rules,” and click on it. Once there, you will see four links. You will want to open the link labeled “Employee Operating Instructions.” Then click on “Program Operations Manual System - POMS.” When you open it up, you will see the Table of Contents, which is divided into topics like “Retirement and Survivors Insurance” and “Disability Insurance” and “Health Insurance” and so on.

And then all I can say is “good luck!” I’ve been using POMS for more than half a century now and to be honest, I still have trouble finding exactly what I am looking for.

And for those of you who aren’t satisfied with my book, with the Social Security Handbook, or with POMS and you insist on seeing the actual law, well then I wish you even more luck. In my 50 years of working on Social Security issues, I think I’ve tried to find an actual law reference only once or twice. But if you really want to, you can find the laws by following the same links I mentioned above for POMS. Once you click on “Program Rules,” you will find tabs for “The Law,” “The Regulations,” and “The Rulings.”

When you do the Google search, don’t just type in “10-year marriage rule.” Make sure you type in “Social Security 10-year marriage rule.” Lots of helpful links will pop up. But if you want a specific POMS reference, then add POMS to your search. So you would type in “Social Security 10-year marriage rule POMS.”

Or, as I said, keep things really easy and just spend fifteen bucks and get my book, “Social Security - Simple and Smart.”

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.

COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM

5. According to Acts 25, what

belonged to Agrippa? a) Priest b) King c) Rabbi d) Apostle

6. In Exodus 7, what river was turned into blood? a) Jordan b) Euphrates c) Nile d) Tigris

I am not a lawyer and I certainly am no expert on these matters, but I think in a nutshell, the “Law” is the law. The “Regulations” are subsets of the law. The “Rulings” are subsets of the regulations. And POMS turns all that legal mumbo jumbo into something at least sort of readable. But to repeat, my book turns all of that into something very readable and easy-to-understand.

Having given you all these instructions for wading through the SSA website to find various laws and rules and regulations, I’ve found that a simple Google search can work just as well. And here is a big hint for doing that. Always start out your search with the words “Social Security.”

For example, say you wanted information on the 10-year duration of marriage rule that applies to a divorced husband or wife trying to get benefits on an ex-spouse’s Social Security record.

Man With Low Kidney Function Chooses To Avoid Dialysis

DEAR DR. ROACH: A loved one of mine has had kidney problems for his whole life. He’s now on the transplant list, and his kidney function is very low. But he continues to avoid dialysis, saying that he’s not ready for it. Surprisingly, his heart health, cholesterol and blood pressure are always great when tested. He sometimes has swelling if he’s on his feet for too long, but this can be reduced by going on medication for a few days.

He also has uncontrolled diabetes. At one point, his A1C level was over 11%, but now it is closer to 6% or 7%. In addition, he’s on a biologic due to an autoimmune disease.

How long can someone with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that is lower than 10 be expected to function without starting dialysis or getting a transplant? How long can someone like him survive if he continues to avoid dialysis? -- Anon.

ANSWER: The answer is one to two years for a person with a GFR of 10 who doesn’t receive kidney replacement therapy, like dialysis or a transplant. Some people will do well for even longer periods.

I’ve had more than a few patients who were in similar situations -- some of whom had decided against dialysis, while others, like your loved one, were undecided. But the vast majority decided to take dialysis once they started feeling more unwell. As their kidney disease progresses, their ability to get rid of excess fluid, even with medication, decreases. They are also likely to have symptoms such as a loss of appetite, nausea, and “brain fog.”

People with progressive kidney failure may suffer from medical emergencies such as critically high potassium levels or severe levels of acid in the blood, which usually require emergent dialysis. Eventually, medications will only provide temporary relief. Your loved one should be prepared to give an answer as to what they would do if this happens.

You may wonder why his diabetes is controlled when it wasn’t before. One reason is that insulin lasts for longer in the body when the kidneys aren’t working well. He might also not be eating as much. ***

DEAR DR. ROACH: Are there health benefits that are associated with liver support products, which are found in a variety of options that are sold over the counter? I am a 60-year-old man who is in generally good health and imbibes occasionally (4-5 drinks per week). -- C.C.

ANSWER: A very good rule of thumb is that your liver doesn’t need any kind of supplementation to keep it working well. It has remarkable self-regenerating abilities, but even these abilities can be overwhelmed when taking in substances that are harmful to the liver. Alcohol is probably the most common

er toxin in North America, although 4-5 drinks per week isn’t usually enough to cause liver damage (unless you are drinking them all on the same day). To keep your liver from being damaged, definitely keep your intake to below 2 drinks per day. (This is the guideline for men; the guideline for women is 1 drink per day.)

Landy’s Window Cleaning

Ironically, supplements have been a fairly frequent cause of liver damage. Turmeric, green tea extract, echinacea, goldenseal, black cohosh, red yeast rice, and vitamin A can all cause liver damage, especially when taken in higherthan-recommended doses.

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

Additional Education Benefits

Have you been using your veterans educational benefits? Are you running out of time because you’re coming to the end of the standard 36 months of benefits you received? Because of two new rulings, you might be one of a million veterans who are eligible for an additional 12 months.

The rulings in question (Rudisill v. McDonough and Perkins v. Collins) say that certain veterans could get more education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Adding 12 months of benefits will bring you up to 48 months.

It started two years ago when the Supreme Court decided that, under one of the rulings, veterans who had more than one qualifying period of service (one for the Montgomery GI Bill and another for the Post-9/11 GI Bill) were eligible to combine them for 48 months of benefits. Then, last year, the appeals court decided that veterans with only one qualifying period of service could get benefits under both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill programs.

Here is how it’s going to work:

You no longer need to pick one program over the other and be limited to 36 months.

The VA is looking at eligibility under both of the rulings for any veteran who used benefits after August 2018 and who now has less than three months of benefits remaining or a veteran who was enrolled during the last six months.

Then, the VA is looking at veterans under one of the rulings to see if additional benefits are available. They’re starting by automatically approving the standard 36 months of benefits. Those veterans who are eligible for the additional time will be told.

If you’re new to filing for education benefits, download VA Form 22-1990 (www.va.gov/ forms/22-1990) to either apply or ask to change an existing benefit. Family members can scroll down to Form 22-1990e and use that form.

If you’ve previously filed for education benefits, download Form 22-1995 (www.va.gov/ forms/22-1995) to ask for any changes.

* * *

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.

your health, financial situation and family.

Understanding the Social Security Breakeven Age

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: I’m trying to figure out the best time for my wife and I to start taking our Social Security retirement benefits and would like to understand how the breakeven age works. Can you clarify this for us so we'll know how we should plan? --Strategizing Sam

Dear Sam: As you approach retirement, one of the most important financial decisions you’ll face is when to begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits. A useful concept to guide your thinking is the “breakeven age,” which helps you evaluate the trade-off between taking a reduced benefit early versus a higher one later. Here’s what you should know.

SSA Waiting Game

The Social Security Administration allows you to start collecting your retirement benefits as

early as age 62. However, your monthly benefit will be permanently reduced – about .5 percent each month – if you claim before your full retirement age (FRA), which is 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Conversely, for every year you delay claiming beyond your FRA – up to age 70 – your benefit amount increases 8 percent each year. Your benefit maxes out at age 70, so there’s no financial incentive to wait longer.

Breakeven Age

The breakeven age is the point when the total benefits from waiting to claim equal the total you would have received by starting earlier. Live longer than that age and delaying pays off. Live shorter and claiming early pays more. It’s a simple benchmark for retirement planning.

The exact breakeven age varies based on individual circumstances, but a common comparison is between claiming at age 62 versus waiting until FRA. For most people, the breakeven age for this scenario is around 78. Another common comparison is claiming at FRA versus waiting to age 70. The average breakeven age here is around 82.

Other Considerations

Keep in mind that while the breakeven age is a powerful tool, it is just one piece of the puzzle. It doesn’t account for other crucial factors like your health and family longevity. If you have chronic health problems or a family history of shorter lifespans, taking a reduced benefit early might be the most prudent choice to ensure you receive a significant number of payments.

Online Calculators

There are several online calculators that can help you and your wife figure out the best time to claim your benefits. One that’s completely free to use opensocialsecurity.com. Or for a more thorough analysis use maximizemysocialsecurity.com. This tool, which costs $49 for a year, will run what-if scenarios based on your circumstances to find your best strategy for getting the highest possible lifetime payout.

On the other hand, if you’re in good health and expect to live a long life, delaying your benefits to age 70 can provide a much higher income stream that acts as a form of longevity insurance. To estimate your life expectancy, try the online tool

Furthermore, a married couple’s claiming strategy can be complex. The higher-earning spouse’s decision can significantly impact the survivor benefits for the lower-earning spouse. Waiting for the higher earner to claim at age 70 can provide a larger benefit for the surviving spouse for the rest of their life.

In the end, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The breakeven age provides a useful framework for comparison, but the decision of when to claim your benefits should also consider

JUNQUE

by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

Pastel Flowers Adorn Porcelain

Plate

Q: I have enclosed a picture of a porcelain plate that is 8 inches in diameter. On the back is a lion in a circle and the words Selb, Bavaria, Germany, along with another word that is not clear. The plate is decorated with sprays of pastel flowers on the scalloped border against a white background.

I read your column each week and hope you can tell me how old my plate is and if it has any value.

A: Hutschenreuther Porcelain Factory made your plate. The porcelain factory was founded in Bavaria, Germany, in 1814. They have made fine china dinnerware, limited edition plates and figurines.

Your plate was made around 1930 and would probably be worth $15 to $25.

Q: This mark is on the back of a medium-sized platter that was given to me by an elderly friend. The plate is decorated with a blue and white Asian scene that includes several people, a bridge, a pagoda, birds, a ship and willow trees. It measures 12 inches by 10 inches and is in flawless condition.

My friend has since passed away, and

now I would like to know more about my platter. I treasure my gift and would never part with it; however, I hope you can tell me something about its history, age and value.

A: You have an example of Willow Ware. Alfred Meakin Pottery has been located in Staffordshire, England, since 1973.

The Willow Ware scene was inspired by a 16th-century Chinese design and has been produced in England since the late 1700s. The design has also been made by United States and Japanese factories.

Although most Willow Ware scenes are blue and white, Meakin produced it in pink and white. The designs were transfer prints.

According to the legend, a powerful Mandarin had a beautiful daughter. She fell in love with her father’s accountant. Because he was beneath the Mandarin’s social class, the couple was forbidden to marry. They ran away with the father in hot pursuit, but managed to escape on a ship. The angry father’s army eventually found them, and they were put to death. The gods took pity on the doomed couple and transformed them into doves.

Meakin Pottery used this mark in the early 1900s. Your platter would probably fetch $30 to $50 in an antiques shop.

* * *

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

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

COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM

* On April 20, 1871, Congress passed the Third Enforcement Act, aka the Ku Klux Klan Act, which authorized President Ulysses S. Grant to declare martial law, impose heavy penalties and use military force to suppress terrorist organizations, in particular the Ku Klux Klan.

* On April 21, 1794, Josephine de Beauharnais, the future Empress of France and first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, was imprisoned during the Reign of Terror. Released five days after the beheading of her then husband Alexandre de Beauharnais, her marriage to Napoleon ended in divorce after she failed to provide him an heir, but he continued to provide for her, declared her “Empress for life” and allowed her to retain the title of Empress Josephine.

* On April 22, 1915, German forces fired more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas at two French colonial divisions in Ypres, Belgium. It was the first major such attack by the Germans and devastated the Allied line.

* On April 23, 1961, Judy Garland delivered a Carnegie Hall performance that was greeted by a standing ovation before she even began to sing and was interrupted throughout by additional ovations. That performance has often been lauded as “the greatest night in showbiz history.”

* On April 24, 1953, Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He retired as prime minister two years later but remained in Parliament until 1964, the year before his death.

* On April 25, 1989, James Richardson was released from a Florida prison 21 years after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his seven children. Special prosecutor Janet Reno had agreed to the release after evidence showed his conviction resulted from misconduct by the prosecutor. His neighbor, Betsy Reese, confessed to the crime.

* On April 26, 2012, former Liberian president Charles Taylor was found guilty of abetting horrific war crimes, including rape and mutilation, in Sierra Leone. His conviction was the first for war crimes by a former head of state in an international court since the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after World War II.

Eponyms: (from page 3)

• Frank Zamboni had been an auto mechanic, owned an electrical supply business and an icemaking business before lending his name to the ice rink resurfacing machine known today as the Zamboni.

• In 1940, Zamboni opened one of America’s largest ice rinks, a 20,000-square-foot facility in southern California. The process of resurfacing the ice required the tedious work of five employees laboring steadily for 90 minutes to get the rink surface smoothed.

• This amount of time was unacceptable to Zamboni, and he was determined to find a better way to get this done. He set himself to work inventing a machine that would use a sharp-edged blade to shave the ice’s surface, accumulate the shavings, then wash the ice and spread over a thin coat of fresh water to quickly freeze over.

• He worked for nine years on the machine, one constructed from an attack plane’s hydraulic cylinder, an oil derrick’s chassis, a Jeep engine, several pulleys, and a bin to collect the shavings.

• He had planned to use the machine only at his own rink, but after Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie visited the rink, she quickly placed an order, followed by another from the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. Zamboni obtained a patent and established Frank J. Zamboni & Company in Paramount, California. Although ice rinks had become his career, he stated later that he didn’t even like to skate! ***

• In 1559, French diplomat Jean Nicot de Villemain was on a trip to Portugal, tasked with negotiating a marriage between a French princess and the future King of Portugal. While there, he happened on to tobacco plants and brought plants and seeds back to France to present to King Francis II.

• Nicot presented instructions for using the plant as medicine, to cure headaches, fight against illness, and even protect from the plague. Little did he know what illnesses would be brought about rather than the opposite! The word “nicotine” has its origins from the tobacco plant “Nicotiana tabacum,” a plant that is named after the man, Jean Nicot. 

(Related stories on page 5)

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Game Changers

by Jason Jenkins

One of the modern concepts in the golf swing has been to keep the upper left arm “connected” to the body throughout the golf swing. Many high level players have been seen hitting shots with towels under their arms, or training aids that keep the arm pinned to the body.

Connection is specifically meant for the upper left arm and the side of the body. The intention of connection is to promote assistance in coiling the upper body in the backswing, and releasing the arm in the follow through.

Unfortunately, many golfers trying to stay “connected” have super glued the arm swing to the body. This over connection can restrict a free arm swing to the top and to the finish.

arms need

freedom at each point in the swing. If a glove where placed in the armpit area of each arm at address, the gloves should fall out at specific time. The right arm glove falls out by the top of the swing, and the left

glove falls out in the finish. Do not try to keep the gloves pinched in the entire swing.

Linda Thistle