Vol. 21: #41 • Awesome Animals • (10-5-2025) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

by Janet Spencer

What’s so special about the tail of a squirrel? The tongue of a giraffe? The milk of a hippo? Each of Earth’s creatures has special built-in features that make them individually unique and interesting. Follow along for some fast facts about some amazing animal characteristics that you likely never knew.

• By doing a handstand when it sprays, a skunk can increase the distance its dreaded discharge can travel. The odoriferous mist can reach up to 13 feet, and further in a downwind breeze.

• The whiskers of a cat act as sensors to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through, and can also help detect the movement of prey. Cats also have similarly sensitive whiskers on the backs of their forelegs.

• A baby giraffe grows at the rate of an inch each day, and doubles its height in a year. The tongue of a giraffe is so long it can clean its own ears with it. Giraffes have no vocal cords. The individual hairs that make up a giraffe’s tail are about ten times

TRIV

(Answers on page 16)

PING-PONG

It’s the world’s most popular racket sport, with upwards of ten million players participating in tournaments each year. This week Tidbits has the score on ping-pong and its origins.

• Although we often use “ping-pong” and “table tennis” interchangeably, they aren’t exactly the same. Table tennis is the official sport recognized worldwide. Ping-pong refers to a slower version played with hard rackets without rubber, while table tennis uses rubber-covered paddles that allow for spin and speed.

• Table tennis originated in Victorian England during the 1880s as an indoor version of lawn tennis. The modern table measures about 30 inches (76 cm) high, 60 inches (1.525 m) wide, and 108 inches (2.74 m) long. The net stands 6 inches (15.25 cm) high, and the ball’s diameter is 1.58 inches (40 mm).

• Early balls were made of celluloid, a plantderived plastic, and measured 1.5 inches (38 mm) in diameter. In 2000, the size was increased to 1.58 inches (40 mm) to slightly slow the game. Since 2015, balls have been made of plastic and come in white or orange, with the choice depending on the table color for visibility.

• Historians recognize three major eras of equipment. The “hard bat” era (1920s–1950s) used pimpled rubber on wood and higher nets. The “sponge bat” era introduced thick foam sponges, speeding up play dramatically. Later, the “speed glue and technology” era used special adhesives (like bicycle tire repair glue) to enhance paddle spin and speed even further.

1. TELEVISION: What was the name of the dog on “The Brady Bunch”?

2. U.S. CITIES: Which major U.S. city was called Yerba Buena until 1847?

3. GEOGRAPHY: Where is Bryce Canyon National Park located?

4. HISTORY: Where did the Renaissance begin?

5. MOVIES: What is the nickname of the serial killer in “The Silence of the Lambs”?

6. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the 20th president of the United States?

7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many amendments are in the United States’ Bill of Rights?

8. ASTRONOMY: What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?

9. MUSIC: Which rock band sings the theme song to “The Big Bang Theory”?

10. LITERATURE: What is the last name of the family in “Little Women”? Answers

Francisco.

Hungary led the sport in its early decades before Asia became the powerhouse region.

• Only one non-Asian has ever won Olympic gold in table tennis: Sweden’s Jan-Ove Waldner. Competing in the first five Olympics, he captured gold in 1992 and is considered one of the sport’s greatest players, often called the “Mozart of table tennis.”

• The longest continuous rally was set in England in 2014 by Peter Ives and his son Daniel. The pair played for 8 hours, 40 minutes, and 5 seconds, without as much as a pause for a bathroom break. Father and son exchanged back and forth strikes an incredible 32,000 times.

• A good calorie burn comes with the game as casual players average about 330 calories burned per hour, while a vigorous match can raise that to around 420. 

• The International Table Tennis Federation was founded in 1926, the same year as the first World Championships. Table tennis joined the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 and has appeared at every Summer Games since, with men’s and women’s singles and doubles. China, where an estimated 100 million people play, has dominated, winning 37 of 42 possible gold medals. It is China’s official national sport.

• In doubles, teammates must alternate their shots. Striking out of turn costs the pair a point.

• In 2001, the scoring system was revised, reducing the winning score from 21 to 11 points per game. At the elite level, matches now average about 30 minutes.

• China’s dominance wasn’t always the case.

Animals (from page one)

thicker than the average strand of human hair.

• The underside of a bat’s wing is covered with tiny hairs that help it navigate and detect turbulence. When researchers removed these hairs, bats were unable to control their vertical elevation and collided with obstacles. They were not able to fly effectively again until the hairs grew back.

• Eight out of ten female chimps will cradle their babies in their left arms, leaving their dominant right hand free. This is the same ratio of human mothers who also hold their babies on the left.

• A gecko can scramble up a polished glass window at over three feet per second, and can support its entire body weight by a single toe. This unique ability is due to the extremely sticky pads on its feet. Geckos, in fact, have the stickiest feet in nature, even out-sticking the house fly.

PROOF

• The Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish may look like a very large creature, but it’s actually composed of a colony of single-cell organisms that all work together in harmony. Each section of the jellyfish devotes itself to a single necessary function; either feeding, or moving, or distributing nutrients to the entire colony.

• A starfish can survive the loss of four out of its five limbs.

• If a lobster loses one of its two front claws, the severed claw will continue to tighten its grip on the attacker even after being separated from the body of the lobster.

• The Japanese goby fish can switch between being male and female as many as ten times over the course of their lifetime. They can produce either eggs or sperm, depending on conditions in their surroundings. One species of sea bass is also able to play both roles, and can switch from male to female in a matter of seconds.

• Herring fish communicate with each other by releasing high frequency bursts of air from their anuses. Scientists, apparently somwhat tongue

in cheek, have dubbed this phenomenon Fast Repetitive Tick, or FRT for short.

• A type of wasp exudes a chemical that causes ants to start fighting with each other. While the ants are preoccupied with their brawl, the wasp walks into their nest and helps itself to din-din.

• Fruit flies breathe through their tongues.

• Giant Arctic jellyfish have tentacles that can reach over 110 feet in length.

• Locusts have leg muscles that are about one thousand times more powerful than an equal weight of human muscle.

• While the polar bear's fur is white, its skin is black in order to absorb heat from the sun. A tiger’s skin is striped just as its fur is striped, and each tiger’s pattern of stripes is as individually unique as a human fingerprint.

• Most bats use echolocation to find food, but not fruit bats. Instead, they rely on their sense of sight and smell to find fruit.

• One type of octopus is an expert imitator. Called the mimic octopus, it can configure its bodily shape and adjust its coloring to either look exactly like other animals or to blend in to the background. It uses this ability to get closer to its prey, and also to avoid becoming prey. By imitating a female crab, it can get close enough to a male crab to snatch it. When approached by a carnivorous damselfish, it can mimic a banded sea snake, a dangerous damselfish predator.

Fastest mammal in water: Dall porpoise, 35 mph. Fastest bird in the air: peregrine falcon, 200 mph in a dive. Fastest flightless bird: ostrich, 45 mph. Fastest fish: sailfish, 68 mph.

• The tail of a squirrel is a handy item. When running along precarious branches, it helps balance the squirrel and prevents it from falling.

1. Of all the animals in the world, which has the most dense fur?

2. What maneuver is an alligator unable to perform on land?

• Why are penguins black and white? There are two reasons. When penguins are in the water, it helps with camouflage. Their black backs make them hard to see from above because it blends into the darkness of the ocean. But seen from below, their white bellies tend to blend in with the bright sky at the surface. When penguins are on land, their black backs absorb heat from sunlight keeping them warm. And if they get too hot, they turn their white bellies to the sun to reflect the heat.

• The female tiger shark has two separate wombs, each containing several eggs. When the first egg hatches, it eats all the other eggs contained within that womb. The mother continues to produce new eggs, which it also eats. The offspring, one inside each of the two wombs, remain inside their mother for two full years, until they are each about three feet long. As soon as they are born they must be able to fend for themselves.

• The only mammals that lay eggs are the spiny anteater and the duck-billed platypus.

• Fastest mammal on land: cheetah, 70 mph.

By Lucie Winborne

* In a remote area of Colombia called Los Pinos, some students have to get to school on a zipline up to 800 meters long.

* A teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh over a trillion tons.

* Chock Full o’ Nuts coffee does not contain nuts. It’s named for a chain of nut stores that the founder converted into coffee shops.

* During the Middle Iron Age, spears were placed into the graves of some young men. The reason isn’t clear, but some think it may have been a military send-off similar to the modern 21-gun salute.

* While worms make up the majority of their diet, robins won’t mind if you leave out a dessert tray. In fact, they’re partial to pastry dough, fruit cake and coconut cake.

* In 1998, a Georgia student was suspended for wearing a Pepsi shirt to “Coke in Education Day.”

* American cheese was invented in Switzerland in 1911 by Waltz Gerber and Fritz Stettler to lengthen the shelf life before being shipped overseas.

* In 2010, a man became stranded for days near Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan. With no way to call for help, he cut down four wooden power poles with an ax, causing an outage to the nearby community, and SaskPower sent a helicopter crew to investigate. They found the man and escorted him back to safety.

* When Joel Burger married Ashley King in 2015, Burger King paid for the ceremony.

* In India, escalators in Delhi metro stations feature “sari guards” to prevent women’s long skirts from getting trapped. ***

Thought for the Day: “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” -- Confucius

by Mary Hunt

Which Bills to Pay First?

If you don’t have enough money to pay all your bills, which ones should you pay first, and which ones can slide for a while? That’s the question frequently showing up in my email inbox these days. The past year has been so difficult for so many. And with each request for help I receive, the more my heart breaks for my dear readers going through such financially trying times. Then I pull myself together, recalling with certainty that “tough times never last, but tough people do.”

by Mary Hunt

Now is the time to get tough, to pull ourselves together, get a plan and get to work.

Allowing bills to become delinquent is wrong, but there are times when your available cash can be stretched only so far. That doesn’t mean you are excused from payment, just that you need to know how to prioritize in a way that will cause the least amount of long-term damage and keep you in the best position to eventually get caught up.

Even if you are not in this position now, it’s good to have a good grasp on how to react, knowing what to do if it ever happens. Without a standby plan, more than likely you’ll do the wrong thing with the limited amount of money you have to work with. It’s the old adage about the “squeaky wheel getting the most grease” at play!

Here is the important rule of thumb: Do not make payments on nonessential debts when you have not paid essential ones, even if your nonessential creditors are the “squeaky wheels” breathing down your neck.

ESSENTIAL DEBTS

An essential debt is one that if not paid could produce severe, even life-threatening consequences. Once you’ve determined which debts are essential, prioritize them according to the severity of the consequences you will suffer for nonpayment:

● Life necessities (food, medical and health insurance):

Going without food, life-saving medications and basic health insurance will prove catastrophic. This is your top priority. But don’t eat steaks three times a week when you are unable to pay the phone bill.

● Rent or mortgage

Always assume that your landlord or mortgage lender will immediately proceed to evict or foreclose if you are late with a payment. Falling behind here could put you out on the street with the kids and the TV.

● Child support

Paying court-ordered child support is absolutely essential. Not paying can land you in jail.

● Other secured loans

This means something you dare not live without that the lender can repossess for nonpayment.

● Unpaid taxes

If the IRS is about to take your paycheck, bank account, house or other property, you need to set up a repayment plan immediately.

NONESSENTIAL DEBTS

These are financial obligations that will have a lesser and/or significantly delayed effect if you withhold payment for a limited time. Understand that to do so may cause blemishes to your credit file. But in the big picture, a blemished credit report is easier to live with than being thrown out of your home or having your car repossessed.

● Student loans

Most delinquent student loans are backed by the U.S. government, and the law provides for special collection remedies. These could include seizure of your tax refunds and special wage garnishment.

● Credit, department store and gasoline cards

The consequences for falling behind with these debts will be losing your credit privileges and, if the debt is unusually high, you may be sued.

● Loans from friends and relatives

You should feel a moral obligation to pay, but these creditors will likely be the most understanding of your situation. Have an honest talk, explain your situation and plan and then confirm your commitment to full repayment.

● Medical, legal and accounting bills

While these debts are real and will be paid eventually, they are rarely essential, with one exception: If you are still receiving necessary treatment from the provider to whom you owe money, you must keep up with minimum payments to prevent these services from being cut off.

● Other unsecured loans

Every other debt you owe is probably in this category. These unsecured debts are rarely, if ever, essential to pay first.

* * *

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 2025 CREATORS.COM

● Utilities

You may not have to pay the full amount of the bill, but the minimum necessary to avoid disconnection should be made if at all possible.

● Car payments

If a car is necessary to keep your job, making the loan or lease payment is the next priority.

Celebrate National Forgiveness Day on October 7 by making the decision to let go of resentment! This week Tidbits offers the how-to’s and the benefits released by the power of forgiveness.

• We’ve all been there… someone has hurt us and offers neither an apology, an admission of guilt, or show a shred of sympathy or remorse. We experience anger, sadness, bitterness, and resentment, all of which are heavy burdens that weigh us down. Often the other person actually has no idea they’ve wronged us, yet we hold on to our negative feelings of being ill-treated.

• True forgiveness literally means “debt cancellation.” It means surrendering your “right” to stay angry. It means willfully putting aside feelings of resentment and releasing the other person from how we feel he/she ought to be held accountable.

• How do we move on to forgiving those who have hurt us? First, we must understand that forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting or excusing the action. It doesn’t require becoming best friends with the person. It’s not about getting the other person to change. Instead, itʼs about how to bring peace and emotional healing to yourself. Forgiveness means overcoming bad feelings toward that person and changing your own reaction to that memory.

• Forgiveness can start small, such as immediately forgiving that person who cuts you off in traffic. Realizing that the action wasn’t directed at you personally helps to put a halt to the negative/ aggressive reaction as soon as it happens.

• Emotional forgiveness is a tougher process. It requires moving away from the negative feelings

and refusing to dwell on the wrongdoing. It involves a conscious choice of replacing animosity or resentment with kind thoughts.

• One method of forgiveness is to attempt to understand why another person hurt you, recognizing that many times it is not personal toward you, but rather related to something that person was dealing with, resulting in lashing out at an innocent party. “Hurt people hurt people!” Our own interpretation of the offense leads us to demand our rights and pronounce them guilty without excuse.

• Viewing the situation with empathy toward the offender’s perspective can make the difference between condemnation and compassion.

• It can be beneficial for us to recall a time when we were forgiven for an unkind remark or action we took. Realizing our own shortcomings makes it easier to offer a pardon to another.

• Forgiveness isn’t always a single decision, and may sometimes be not just a “one and done” action. In situations where the hurt still runs deep, something might trigger that painful memory and the bitterness may suddenly flash back. This requires us to consciously remind ourselves that we have already forgiven that person and we are free from their control. Doing so neutralizes the power that person has had over our mind. It is important to realize that our attitudes are chosen

• Forgiveness not only provides inner peace, it offers many physical benefits. It’s been shown to lower blood pressure and to contribute to a stronger immune system. Studies indicate that

those who practice forgiveness have a lower risk of heart attack along with better cholesterol levels. Better sleep and reduced mental pain levels have also been observed. There is less anxiety, stress, and hostility, along with fewer symptoms of depression.

• Research shows that there is an increase of post traumatic stress disorder in those who hold onto grudges and resentments. Those who forgive have improved self-esteem and life satisfaction.

• “Forgiveness is a gift we give to both ourselves and others. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer.” 

by Dana Jackson

Q: What ever happened to Matt Dillion? He’s always been one of my favorite actors, but his career seems to have slowed down in recent years. -- L.P.

A: The now 61-year-old actor Matt Dillon first came on the Hollywood scene as a teen heartthrob in movies like “My Bodyguard” and “The Outsiders.” He graduated into more mature roles and, along with it, earned critical acclaim for “Drugstore Cowboy” and “The Saint of Fort Washington.” His good looks combined with his wide range of talent in both comedy and drama made him the Brad Pitt of the ‘80s and ‘90s. His biggest hit was the hilarious comedy “There’s Something About Mary,” but just a few short years later, he’d earn his first Oscar nomination playing a racist cop in the Oscar-winning film “Crash.” This was 20 years ago, and he’s been act-

ing steadily since but in projects that aren’t very memorable.

He did appear in Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” in 2023, but his subsequent projects weren’t exactly lighting up critics. Hopefully he’ll bounce back soon, but perhaps he’s happy about not being swarmed by paparazzi and creating indie films at his own pace.

***

Q: When is “Outlander” coming back? Is it the last season, or will there be more? -- E.B.

A: The final season of “Outlander,” which is based on the series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, recently released the trailer for its upcoming season, but fans will have to wait until early 2026 for the new episodes. In the preview, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) are approached by a mysterious person. Their identity isn’t revealed, of course, but judging by Claire’s shocked face, the man is the last person she expected (to see alive?).

Since the time-traveling series debuted on Starz, each of its seven seasons has told a story from each of Gabaldon’s books. However, she’s now working on her 10th novel of the series. So, this final season could include not only content from her eighth book (“Written in My Own Heart’s Blood”) but also her ninth (“Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone”).

According to TVLine, “one plot that is not in the novels but will be addressed at the top of the final season” involves the season seven finale cliffhanger of “whether Claire and Jamie’s daughter, Faith, somehow survived what we thought was her stillbirth in season two.”

Q: Is the actress who starred in “iCarly” in a new reality show about Paris, Texas?

1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie - Infinity Castle (R) Zach Aguilar, Ryan Bartley

2. The Conjuring: Last Rites (R) Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga

3. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (PG) Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt

4. The Long Walk (R) Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson

5. Toy Story (G) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

6. Weapons (R) Julia Garner, Josh Brolin

7. Hamilton (PG-13) Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo

8. Freakier Friday (PG) Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan

9. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (R) Christopher Guest, Michael McKean

10. The Sound of Music (G) Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer

It looks a lot like her. -- D.S.

A: Yes, that’s Miranda Cosgrove in Netflix’s “The Wrong Paris.” But it’s not a reality show; it’s a comedy film about such a show. Cosgrove, who portrayed the titular character in Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” (2007-2012) and the subsequent reboot on Paramount+, plays Dawn, a 25-year-old artist who joins a dating show in Paris only to realize it’s the small town in Texas and not “the City of Love.”

Cosgrove also recently told Entertainment Weekly that an “iCarly” movie is in the works, which should wrap up the cliffhanger from the end of the third season of the reboot.

* * *

Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Good Recipes from

Oktoberfest

Feast

This quick recipe is much easier than a trip to Germany, and just as tasty.

12 ounce kielbasa, sliced

1 1/3 cup sauerkraut

1 small red onion, cut into wedges

1 apple, cored and sliced 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/4 cup beer

Rye toast

Spicy brown mustard

1. Toss together kielbasa, sauerkraut, red onion, apple and caraway seeds. Divide among 4 large foil sheets; pour beer over each.

2. Crimp edges to seal packets; grill 15 minutes over medium heat. Serve with rye toast and spicy mustard. Serves 4.

 Each serving: About 235 calories, 15g total fat (6g saturated), 15g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 985 mg sodium, 3g fiber.

Macaroni Salad

A classic macaroni salad is always a hit at any potluck party. This version is studded with an array of colorful veggies for a pleasing presentation.

8 ounces elbow macaroni

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup lowfat sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Pepper

3 peppers (1 each red, orange and green)

2 stalks celery

1 cup fresh corn kernels

2 scallions

1/4 cup finely chopped pickled sweet red cherry peppers (such as Peppadews)

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3. Add the cooled macaroni and toss to coat. Fold in the peppers, celery, corn, scallions, cherry peppers, cilantro and jalape–o. Serves 8.

Pumpkin-Apple Butter

2 cans 100-percent pure pumpkin

2 cups applesauce

2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Stir all ingredients in a heavy, medium saucepan until blended. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

2. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring often to prevent scorching, 30

minutes, or until mixture is very thick. Serves 5. Tip: Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

NEXT WEEK in

Holidays & Observances This Week

10/5 National Consignment Day

10/6 American Libraries Day

10/7 National Forgiveness Day

10/8 World Octopus Day

10/9 Leif Erikson Day

10/10 Newspaper Carrier Appreciation Day

10/11 Emergency Nurses Day

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis

Till

Dog Do You Part

For the longest time and for reasons that escape me, this column used to be titled “Dogs, Cats and Other People.” Not a week went by where I wasn’t lambasted by some flummoxed cat person with a bone to pick over my gross neglect of felines. Who could blame ‘em? Bad title.

And now, with the column at last more aptly named “Dog Talk With Uncle Matty,” I finally have cause to advise a cat person, per the below email:

“Here’s my problem, and I hope you can help me out. My wife recently said to me, ‘We need to get a dog.’ But if you feed that through the translation matrix, the actual thing she said to me was, ‘We should get a dog so I can dump 100 percent of the work and care of the dog on you.’

“The main issue is that, I'm sorry, but I actually hate dogs. I’m a cat person. I love cats and have three. They don’t smell bad, they cuddle in my lap, and they sleep 16 hours a day. Before I was married, a then-girlfriend of mine and I got a dog. I ended up hating the thing because, as a puppy, he soiled the house at every step. As an adult dog he destroyed everything in sight.

“I know, you say ‘dogs need training.’ And they do. But I’m not the person to give the dog training, as you can see. My wife, who wants to get a dog, also wants to dump all of the work on me, someone who hates dogs. Do you see what’s going to happen next?

“How can I convince my wife that I don’t have the time for a dog?”

My advice: Show her this letter. Print it out or cut it out of the newspaper, and leave it on her pillow. Tell her to give as much weight to your words as to mine, and Uncle Matty says under no circumstances should either you or your wife get a dog. That is unless your marriage vows were “for better or worse, till dog do we part.”

My intent is not to be unfeeling toward his wife’s desires, but rather to spare a pup from the cold environment of an absentee “mother” and a cat-loving “father.” If animal adoptions were as carefully considered as human adoptions, these two would never make it past the initial home visit. And that’s not because they couldn’t, as individuals, become good “parents,” but because they aren’t, as

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles © King Features Synd., Inc.

5-Minute Daily Run?!

doesn't actually say "five minutes per day." The study also didn't say why it has to be running. I wonder, too, about the people who participated. If they were healthy enough to run for a half hour, maybe they were already in a health category that would give them a longer life.

MON., SEPT. 29

I wonder about some of these studies. A new one out claims that if we run five minutes a day, we'll live a longer life. The 55,000 participants in the study (which went on for many years) ranged in age from 18 to 100.

Runners had much lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, with a bonus three years tacked on to their life span. Even runners who ran approximately 51 minutes a week had this same reduced mortality. Their conclusion: Running five to 10 minutes a day results in this reduced mortality. Despite its conclusion, the research

In terms of impact on the body, I don't understand why a five-minute run multiple times a week is as good as a half-hour run when it comes to cardiovascular strength.

This is one time I'm going to give a thumbs-down on research study suggestions, at least for us, and point to another study (2011) that calls for 15 minutes a day or 90 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity ... like walking

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.

a couple, on the same team.

I’ll give credit where credit is due, though. At least Hubby has the good sense and decency to recognize and own up to his limitations.

Dogs need and deserve love and lots of it. But love isn’t enough. They require time, patience and training on top of all that love. It’s the time and patience put into training that will prevent a recurrence of Hubby’s previous unpleasant living conditions -- not the love.

While his wife may feel a love that knows no bounds for all canines, great and small, it sounds as though her time constraints are much greater and her attention span much smaller. For a true happily ever after, she ought to instead consider joining the other team. They can be ornery, but for the most part cat people aren’t all that bad.

Woof!

Cody’s Corner (from page 9) * * *

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.

6-month waiting period! So, who is right?

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

Different Answers Are

Not Necessarily Wrong Answers

Readers frequently tell me that they talked to two different Social Security Administration agents and got two different answers. Or they tell me that a neighbor gave them one bit of Social Security advice, but another neighbor told them something else.

Sometimes I will do a little digging and learn that they didn’t really get conflicting information. Rather, they got the same information or answer, but it was simply presented in different ways. Or they posed a question to a Social Security rep and got one answer, and then later asked what they thought was the same question of another rep and got a different answer. Today’s column will give some examples of what I am talking about.

Q: I am 67 and started getting my Social Security benefits a year ago. I called the Social Security Administration about a month ago and asked if my wife, who has never worked, would get half of my Social Security. I was told she would, and an interview was set up to take her claim. When the interview finally took place yesterday, I was told that my wife would not receive half, but only a third. Which agent should I believe?

A: Both SSA agents gave you correct answers, based on the information they had at the time. I checked into this and learned that you failed to tell the first agent that your wife was only 62 years old. Your wife can get up to half of your Social Security benefit if she waits until her full retirement age to file. But if she starts her benefits at 62, she gets a reduced rate -- roughly one-third of your FRA benefit amount.

Q: I will be turning 67 in April 2026. I want to get 100% of my full retirement age rate so, per the advice of a neighbor, I was planning to file for those benefits in April of next year. But then another neighbor told me I could file as early as January 2026 and get the same 100% rate. Are there some new and different rules?

A: There aren’t any new rules. I’m guessing your second neighbor was trying to tell you that you can file for benefits up to 3 months ahead of time. In other words, you could file in January, but you would indicate on your application that you want those benefits to start in April.

Q: I recently filed for Social Security disability benefits. As part of the claims intake process, the Social Security rep explained to me that the law required a 5-month waiting period before my benefits could begin. In other words, if my claim is approved, I would have to wait 5 months before my first disability check would arrive. A week or so later, I went back to the Social Security office to take in some of my medical records. While there, I asked about this waiting period, and this time, a different clerk told me it is actually a

A: Interestingly enough, they both are. What the law actually says is that no benefit payments can be made for the first five “full calendar months” after the date the records show your disability began. For example, let’s assume your claim is approved, and they say you became disabled on Sept. 15, 2025. Your first Social Security disability check would be paid for the month of February 2026. That is five full calendar months after September 2025. But if you’re counting on your fingers, it seems more like six months later.

The five full calendar month count would come out to an actual five months only in those fairly rare cases when someone is declared to be disabled on the first day of the month. In other words, if you became disabled on Sept. 1, 2025, then five full calendar months later would be January 2026 and that is when your benefits would begin.

Q: A couple of months ago, I was in the planning stages of filing for my Social Security retirement benefits. I called Social Security and made an appointment. During that appointment call, I told the agent that we have a disabled 39-year-old son. She told me that he would be eligible for “disabled adult child” benefits on my record. I finally had the appointment interview yesterday. And this SSA rep told me my son was not eligible for benefits. Why was I misled by the first agent? Or is this second agent wrong?

A: I actually exchanged several emails with this questioner and quickly figured out what was going on. He does indeed have a son with a disability. But that disability is the result of a car accident the son had when he was 30 years old. When he made his appointment, he didn’t explain that to the SSA representative. And that is a critical piece of information because the law says that dependent benefits can be paid to an adult child who has been disabled since childhood. To be specific, the rules say the child must have been disabled before age 22.

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

2. Which book could be summarized, "God will hold us accountable for all our actions"? a) Daniel b) Zephaniah c) Isaiah d) Job

3. From Genesis 28, who had the vision of angels going up and down a ladder reaching into heaven? a) Abraham b) Elijah c) Enoch d) Jacob

4. What does Paul say is the supreme gift of the Spirit to believers? a) Love b) Faith c) Holiness d) Eternal life

5. From Genesis 19, where did Lot encounter an angel? a) Well b) Tent door c) New temple d) City gate

6. Where did Jesus attend a wedding banquet where he turned water into wine? a) Bethany b) Gethsemane c) Nazareth d) Cana

(Answers on page 16)

comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com

Q: When I filed for my Social Security benefits at age 70 several years ago. I was still working at the time, and I clearly remember the Social Security rep telling me, “Because you are over your full retirement age, you could earn a million dollars per year and your benefits will not be reduced.” So imagine my shock when I got a letter this year telling me that because I sold some property in 2024 (and just coincidentally happened to make a million dollars on the sale), my Social Security benefits are being dramatically cut beginning in 2026. Why was I lied to?

A: You were not lied to. The SSA agent correctly told that if you were working and making a million dollars in salary, that would not reduce your benefits.

But your property sale was not income from a job. It was a capital gain. Even so, that million-dollar capital gain did not reduce your benefit. At least not directly. What it did do is increase your Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from your monthly Social Security check.

For about 30 years now, the law has said that rich people should pay more for Medicare. And you were “rich,” at least on paper, for that one year (2024). And the rules say that income affects your Medicare premium two years later. So the bad news is that you must pay the higher Part B premium and thus get a lower Social Security check during 2026. But the good news is that, assuming you have not sold any property since, your Part B premium and your Social Security benefit will return to normal in 2027.

* * *

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easyto-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Eligard Injections Cause Man To Develop Breast Tissue

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been treated for prostate cancer and stopped my semiannual Eligard injections three years ago. I’m 75 years old and about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Before treatment, I weighed 227 pounds; I currently weigh 209 pounds. My testosterone level is 49.6 ng/dL. My breasts have become somewhat feminine.

My question is: Will they regain their normal appearance? I’m losing weight slowly, and I’m trying to build muscle with weights. Anon.

ANSWER: Gynecomastia is the growth of male breast tissue, specifically when not due to breast cancer. It can happen during puberty in healthy males, but it is a common side effect of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Up to 75% of men treated with antiandrogen therapy like leuprolide (Lupron or Eligard) will develop breast tissue.

It isn’t likely that the breast tissue will go away on its own. For men who want treatment due to the appearance or tenderness of the breast tissue, there are radiation, medication and surgical treatments available. Radiation therapy is the most effective for men who develop breast tissue with androgen-depletion treatment.

Tamoxifen is the usual medical treatment, and you may ask the physician treating your prostate cancer about these choices. Men who can’t take or choose not to take either of these treatments can be referred for surgical treatment, which can be liposuction or a mastectomy. ***

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 74-year-old active male currently taking a daily 81-mg aspirin due to a periodic heart arrythmia. I have elective sinus surgery scheduled, requiring that I be under a general anesthetic for 90 minutes and that I be off aspirin for the two weeks preceding the procedure.

I’m beginning to have second thoughts about the surgery as I wonder if I’m risking a stroke. Would you please share your thoughts on this? Thank you. R.B.

ANSWER: Aspirin is used in some people with atrial fibrillation (the likely heart arrythmia you would be put on aspirin for) when they are at a low risk for a stroke.

There is a score called the CHA2DS2VASc that is used to estimate risk. People at a higher risk are recommended anticoagulants such as apixaban (Eliquis). Since you are 74, you get at least one point for your age, and unless you have another risk factor that I don’t know about, you have an estimated risk of stroke without treatment of approximately 0.6% per year.

While it is true that being off aspirin for a period of time around a surgery increases your stroke risk, your risk is already so low that the absolute risk of being off aspirin for two weeks is quite small. You should always consider the risks of any surgery against the benefits, but the risk

of stroke in your case is small compared to the risks anyone has with sinus surgery (such as bleeding or an infection).

I am a little surprised about it being two weeks; normally when a person comes off aspirin before surgery, it’s for five to seven days. Also, not all surgeons require aspirin to be stopped before sinus surgery.

Since your reason to be on aspirin is to prevent a stroke due to your arrythmia, and this risk appears to be very small, it may be that the surgeon determined the risk of stopping aspirin was so small. So, it wouldn’t be worth the possible increased risk of bleeding from the sinus surgery if you’re still taking aspirin.

If you haven’t talked to your regular doctor or cardiologist about this, I recommend doing so since I don’t have your full medical history.

* * *

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) 2025 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

The U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has been busy. In a recent week they passed 14 veterans bills, all designed to help veterans and their families.

Here are a few of the bills that passed out of the committee and are ready to go to the full House of Representatives.

The Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025 is intended to improve outreach to benefits by authorizing the VA to send digital messages to veterans instead of only paper mail for G.I. Bill updates. Not only does it save paper, but digital information arrives immediately.

The Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025 is intended to expand access to health care in rural areas. One crucial component will allow health care staff to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine instead of requiring that a veteran appear in person for an appointment. The requirement was temporarily lifted during the pandemic; this bill seeks to make it permanent.

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American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 66 provides a van for free transportation for our veterans in the Coachella Valley to the VA Hospital in Loma Linda, California. The van operates with courteous volunteer drivers and is available Monday through Friday. The pick up locations are in Cathedral City and Palm Springs.

We request that you do not make a reservation if your medical appointment is after 12 Noon as the van must return to the desert at that time. You can ask your doctor to schedule you for an early morning appointment if you explain that your transportation must return by 12 Noon.

You must make your reservation in advance by calling the reservation dispatcher at: (760) 832-8712 MONDAY

The Women Veterans CANCER Care Coordination Act requires the designation or hiring of a coordinator for each area. The care team, under the direction of the coordinator, is required to coordinate between the various clinicians and cancer care providers, including community care.

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act allows veterans who are going for degrees in engineering, mathematics, technology, science or health care to receive nine additional months of benefits (up to $30,000).

The Service Member Residence Protection Act protects a veteran’s home from squatters during periods of military service when the veteran is away. Too many instances of squatters taking over empty homes have tied owners’ hands due to local laws being ineffective. A long process is often necessary, involving the courts and legal eviction, to remove squatters. This amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act preempts those state laws.

* * *

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.

Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: My husband and I have been thinking about getting longterm care insurance policies, but we hate the idea of paying expensive monthly premiums for a service we may never need to use. Do you believe long-term care insurance is actually worth it? -- Approaching Retirement

Dear Approaching: There are two key factors you need to consider that can help you determine if purchasing a long-term care (LTC) insurance policy is a smart decision for you and your husband. One factor is your financial situation and second is your health history. Currently, around 7.5 million Americans own a policy.

Who Needs LTC Insurance?

As the cost of LTC – which includes nursing home, assisted living and in-home care –continues to rise, it’s important to know that most people pay for LTC either from personal savings or Medicaid when their savings is depleted, or through an LTC insurance policy.

National median average costs for nursing home care today is over $100,000 a year, according to the Genworth Cost of Care survey. Assisted living facilities and home care aides average more than $65,000/year.

While national statistics show that about 70 percent of Americans 65 and older will need some kind of LTC, the fact is, many people don’t need to purchase LTC insurance. The reasons stem from a range of factors, including the fact that relatively few people have enough wealth to protect to make purchasing a policy worthwhile.

Another important factor is that most seniors who need LTC only need it for a short period of time, for example, when they’re recovering from surgery. For those people, Medicare covers in-home health care and nursing home stays of 100 days or less following a hospital stay of more than 3 consecutive days.

So, who should consider buying a policy?

LTC insurance makes the most sense for people who have investable assets of $500,000 to around $2 million that they want to protect. Anything less, and you will likely deplete your resources and go on Medicaid for LTC coverage. Anything more, and you can probably afford to pay for care yourself.

Another factor to weigh is your personal health and family health history. The two most common reasons seniors need extended longterm care is because of dementia and/or disability. And, almost half of all people who live in nursing homes are 85 years or older. So, what’s your family history for Alzheimer’s, stroke or some other disabling health condition, and do you have a family history of longevity?

You also need to factor in gender too. Because women tend to live longer than men, they are at greater risk of needing extended LTC.

Choosing LTC Coverage

After evaluating your situation, and if you’re leaning towards buying an LTC policy, be aware that premiums can vary widely. According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, premiums for a policy bought by a couple who are both age 65 for a benefit pool of $165,000 each, with a 3 percent inflation rider,

ranged from $7,137 to $8,493 a year.

You can buy LTC insurance from an insurance company or through an agent. Or you might also be able to buy a policy at work. Be sure to get quotes from several sources for the same coverage to compare prices.

There are two main types of long-term care coverage you’ll want to consider. Traditional LTC insurance, which is “use it or lose it.” And hybrid policies that combine LTC coverage with life-insurance benefits. These policies promise that if you don’t end up needing long-term care, your beneficiaries will receive a death benefit. Both types of policies require medical underwriting to qualify.

Another hybrid product to consider is an income annuity that includes a provision to increase your payout if you need LTC. However, the payout may not cover the full cost of care, and the added cost of this provision, known as a rider, can reduce the standard payout from the annuity.

Carefully scrutinize the fine print.

OK

Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Your cup and saucer would probably be worth $35 to $60.

JUNQUE

by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

White Swan Dishes Were Hidden Treasures

Q: This porcelain cup and saucer were “prizes” inside a tin can of “White Swan Coffee” in 1926. On the bottom of each piece are the letter “M” in a wreath and the words “Noritake -- Made in Japan -- U.S. Design PT. Pending.”

When my aunt was nine-years-old she watched her mother remove them from the can of “White Swan Coffee.” She thought the yellow boarders decorated with white swans were so pretty and asked if she could have them. My aunt is 94-years-old this year. We would like to know a little history of “White Swan Coffee” as well as the value of their “hidden treasures.”

A: In the 1920s several companies began offering a gift-with-purchase campaign to boost their sales. Some of the firms that found this practice profitable were White Swan Coffee Co., Larkin Soap Co., Jewel Tea Co., and McCormick Tea Co. White Swan Coffee was located in Dallas, Texas, in a building that was designed by Thomas Byrne and Co. and constructed in 1926. In 1978, the building was added to the National Registry of Historical Places. Today, White Swan Coffee is a subsidiary of U.S. Food Services, Inc. The letter “M” represents the Morimura Brothers, New York based distributors of Noritake porcelain made in Japan.

Q: The enclosed mark is on the back of a tea set we inherited from our great-aunt. The set includes 24 pieces and the dishes are white and engraved with her mother’s initials, “WL,” in gold.

It was purchased by my aunt when she was a Red Cross nurse stationed in Limoges, France, during World War I.

1853.

Her medical unit was quartered in a Haviland china factory for a considerable time during the war. She ordered the set for her mother, had it engraved and shipped overseas as a Christmas present in 1918. She also arranged for a back stamp on the set with the words “To Mother, Merry Christmas, 1918, Love, Janella.” There is a letter along with the sales receipt from William D. Havilland, owner of the factory.

This set has incredible sentimental value to our family and we would never sell it. However, I would like to know its approximate value on the collector market.

A: The Haviland and Co. Limoges, France, china factory was founded by David E. Haviland in 1853. William D. Haviland was his grandson. The personal back stamp, gold engraved initials and handwritten letter make your set a remarkable family treasure. Its value would probably be $500 to $800.

* * * Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has recently 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.

* On Oct. 6, 1927, “The Jazz Singer,” a part-talkie film featuring six songs by Al Jolson, debuted in theaters, marking the end of cinema’s silent film era even though it only contained about two actual minutes of synchronized dialogue.

* On Oct. 7, 1944, several hundred prisoners in the Nazi death camps of AuschwitzBirkenau revolted and destroyed most of the gas chambers and crematoria in which they were forced to work. A small number of Nazi officers were killed in the struggle, but after a brief escape, the perpetrators were captured and executed.

* On Oct. 8, 1871, the Peshtigo Fire, today considered the most devastating fire in American history, started in Wisconsin, killing about 1,200 people and consuming 2 billion trees. Despite its massive scale, however, the smaller Great Chicago Fire, which began later that night, dominated newspaper headlines over the next days.

* On Oct. 9, 1635, Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the General Court of Massachusetts for protesting the right of civil authorities to punish religious dissension and to confiscate Native American land. He went on to found present-day Providence, Rhode Island, with assistance from the Narragansett tribe.

* On Oct. 10, 1973, less than a year before Richard M. Nixon’s resignation as President of the United States, his vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in disgrace, pleading no contest to a charge of federal income tax evasion in exchange for dropped charges of political corruption. He was fined $10,000, sentenced to three years’ probation, and disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals.

* On Oct. 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII convened an ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church for the first time in 92 years, in the hope of bringing a spiritual rebirth to Catholicism as well as fostering greater unity among other branches of Christianity.

* On Oct. 12, 1945, Private First Class Desmond T. Doss of Lynchburg, Virginia, became America’s first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for outstanding bravery as a combat medic. (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Awesome Animals (from page 3)

When under attack by predatory birds, a squirrel can hide under its tail, making it harder for a hawk to sink its talons. If the squirrel falls, the tail acts as a parachute, slowing the rate of descent. While running along the ground, it acts as a rudder allowing the squirrel to change direction quickly. In the summer it provides shade and in the winter it offers warmth.

• But the tail of a squirrel also offers defense from rattlesnakes. Rattlers have a poor sense of sight but a sharp sense of temperature. They attack their prey based on body heat. A squirrel, when confronted by a rattlesnake, increases blood flow to the tail while sticking it straight out. The snake, upon seeing this increased heat signature, will assume the potential prey is much larger than it actually is, and break off the attack. Curiously, squirrels only heat up their tails when they encounter a rattler, but never when they run into other kinds of snakes.

• Female kangaroos and wallabies can keep a fertilized embryo in suspended animation, preventing it from developing. If conditions aren’t right due to weather, food shortages, or sickness, the female releases a hormone from her pituitary gland that puts the embryo’s development into a state called diapause until things improve.

• Because of its long neck, the giraffe relies on an oversized heart to pump blood to its head. As a result, the giraffe has the highest blood pressure of any animal: 280/180, more than twice the blood pressure of an average human.

• Flamingos eat upside down: To filter food from the water, flamingos must hold their beaks upside down.

• Sloths digest food slowly: A single leaf can take a sloth up to a month to digest.

• Koalas possess fingerprints that are so similar to human fingerprints that they could potentially confuse investigators at a crime scene. �

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Game Changers

by Jason Jenkins

Hybrid Wins

When I’m on the course with a student who’s facing a long shot from the rough, they typically reach for their 3 wood without hesitation. This particular problem is magnified when trying to carry a water hazard or bunker. It seems that the yardage takes precedence over the lie in most of the decisions.

Unfortunately, when it comes to a battle between the 3 wood and a hybrid…. the hybrid wins.

Due to a poor lie in most of these cases, a low lofted (14 degrees), long shafted, high center of gravity clubhead makes it difficult to get a clean hit or much height on the shot. The hybrid, with its shorter shaft, higher loft (17 degrees), and lower center of gravity, gives average swing speeds a chance to hit pro-like shots.

by Linda Thistle

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.