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TIDBITS® LOOKS BACK AT

THE 1970’sby Kathy Wolfe

What do you remember most about the 1970s? It was a decade of progress, celebration and political scandal. Let’s take a leap back in time and remember these monumental events.

became the world’s tallest buildings, surpassing the Empire State Building, the record-holder

commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many of the festivities were centered in Philadelphia,

celebrations were tragically marred, however, by an epidemic of a respiratory disease that

Legion attending a convention, the ailment was dubbed Legionnaire’s Disease. It was

in the air-conditioning pipes of the Bellevue

quickly replaced, but the damage had been done to the hotel’s reputation, and it went bankrupt shortly afterward.

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THE 1970s (continued):

in central Florida. Unfortunately, Disney had

visited entertainment resort and welcomes about 17 million visitors per year.

born as a result of the experimental in vitro

tube baby, her conception actually took place in a petri dish. Brown became a mother herself

to form Microsoft, a combined abbreviation of “microcomputer” and “software.”

Presley, declared by the medical examiner as the

months prior to the King’s death, his physician had prescribed more than 10,000 doses of

autopsy revealed 14 different drugs in Presley’s

funeral, a car swerved into a group of fans, killing two. More than 80,000 people lined the

burial site.

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 has created a new benefit for unemployed veterans, and it gears up in July.The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) is for unemployed veterans ages 35 to 60 who:--Don’t have a dishonorable discharge,--Aren’t eligible for other education benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs,--Don’t get compensation for not being employable,--Aren’t in a federal or state job-training program.The goal is to get veterans enrolled in VA-approved programs at community colleges or tech schools, aiming toward a degree or certification in a high-demand oc-cupation (from the Department of Labor-approved list). The DoL will provide job assistance upon completion of the program.Veterans who qualify will get up to 12 months of assis-tance at a full-time rate, which is now $1,473 a month. The money will go directly to them, not the school, and they’ll need to pay for their own tuition and books.

To Your Good Health By Paul G Donohue M.D.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a friend whose glucose tests taken in the morning range from 140 (7.8) to 200 (11) and are never in the normal range. He is constantly thirsty and has other diabetes symptoms. His doctor ordered a hemoglobin A1C test, which came back as 5.2. The doctor told him that they no longer do the fasting blood sugar test, only the HbA1C, and that he is not diabetic, since his test is normal. Has testing for diabetes changed? Should my friend consult another doctor? -- L.P.

ANSWER: Up until 2010, doctors diagnosed diabetes on the basis of blood sugar (actually plasma glucose). A relatively new test, hemoglobin A1C, HbA1C or just A1C, has been added to the criteria for both diagnosing diabetes

and monitoring diabetes control in the past year or so. Hemoglobin is a large molecule inside all red blood cells that grabs oxygen from the lungs and releases it to all parts of the body as blood circulates. Blood sugar coats hemoglobin. Since red blood cells last 120 days, the percentage of hemoglobin coated with sugar indicates how well-controlled diabetes is. An acceptable control level is one that is 7 percent or less.Fasting blood sugar, the specimen taken after at least eight hours of not eating, is still used for diagnosing diabetes. A level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher lands one in diabetes territory.A second way to diagnose diabetes is to give a person 75 grams of glucose (sugar) to eat and test the blood two hours later. A value of 200 (11.1) qualifies as diabetes.Now a third way of making the diagnosis is employing HbA1C. One selling point for using it is that there’s no requirement for fasting. HbA1C of 6.5 or greater makes the diagnosis.Your friend is a diabetic. His fasting blood sugar qualifies him as being one. Furthermore, he has a diabetes symptom -- perpetual thirst. He probably has to urinate frequently, another diabetes symptom. The fact that his HbA1C is normal doesn’t cancel these facts. That test is only one of three. He should see another doctor.The diabetes booklet guides people through this prevalent and difficult illness. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 402W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A friend of ours is in a nursing home with pneumonia. We’re afraid to visit her. Is pneumonia catchy? -- A.M.

ANSWER: A huge number of different germs cause the many different kinds of pneumonia. A blanket statement on transmission, therefore, is impossible. The pneumococcus (NEW-moe-KOK-us) bacterium is a prominent cause of pneumonia, especially in adults and older adults. This germ can be spread in droplets coming from a cough or sneeze. However, 24 hours of treatment renders the patient no longer a transmitter.You can bank on it that a hospital or a nursing home will not let you visit any patient who might be at risk of spreading any infectious disease.

How Diabetes Is Diagnosed

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If you’re interested, don’t delay. The program will be limited to 45,000 veterans between July and October, and then 54,000 veterans between October and March 2013.You need to apply through the DoL and VA, beginning May 15, 2012. When you apply, you’ll need to know: your bank routing number (so they can deposit the cash), name and address of the school, the name of the program and the high-demand occupation it leads to.There are 210 high-demand job categories under broad headings such as:Protective Service Occupations, Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, Construction and Extrac-tion Occupations, Transportation and Material Moving Occupations.To narrow down the list and see the specific occupa-tions under those headings, go online to benefits.va.gov/vow/education.htm and scroll down to click on High Demand Jobs.

Help for Jobless Vets

Numerous studies have shown us two things: ItÕs never too late to start being active, and a small amount of activity is better than none when it comes to better health.

Now thereÕs an additional benefit: Being active helps keep depression and other psychological issues at bay. Not only that, but a recent study shows that those with “psychological distress are four times more likely to be functionally limited.” The study, done on 91,000 adults age 65 and older, indicates that one-third of us don’t get regular exercise, and the number goes up even more for those 75 and older.

Another study on the same topic came to a serious conclusion: Those who have depression had better results from exercising three times a week than those who took drugs for their symptoms. All it took was getting 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.

Other researchers have approached senior health from a different angle: A Psychological Bulletin news release from the Harvard School of Public Health reported on a study that compared psychological well-being to heart health.

It found that psychological well-being reduces the chance of heart attack and stroke. Specifically, being optimistic, happy and satisfied with life can reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event. Somehow those emotions not only protect us, but can slow down existing disease.

How then do we use this information? A simplistic look might be this: If we elevate our mood with exercise and gain a sense of emotional well-being, we’re also helping our heart. And looking on the bright side of life gives an additional benefit: Those of us who are optimistic cut our risk of heart attack in half.

Don’t Just Sit There

If you experienced a foreclosure on your primary residence between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010, you could be eli-gible for a free Independent Foreclosure Review and com-pensation. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has required that 14 of the biggest mortgage-servicing in-stitutions create independent review programs to discover whether “financial injury” occurred due to errors or mis-takes in the foreclosure process.For example, if the balance at foreclosure was more than you owed, you were part of a modification agreement, you

were under bankruptcy protection or if inaccurate fees were tacked on to your mortgage, you might qualify for help.The errors could have occurred at any step of the foreclo-sure process: The house was sold under a foreclosure, fore-closure was halted when payments were brought current, foreclosure was initiated but the house was quickly sold, or foreclosure was started but isn’t finalized yet.The foreclosure review includes whether:--ownership of the promissory note or deed of trust had been determined--state laws were followed--a loan modification request was being considered at the time--the loan had been in default for the required period of time--fees were charged that were not allowable or were exces-sive--borrowers had the opportunity to apply for help programs such as HAMP.The banks involved are: America’s Servicing Co., Aurora

Loan Services, BAC Home Loans Servicing, Bank of America, Beneficial, Chase, Citibank, CitiFinancial, Ci-tiMortgage, Countrywide, EMC, EverBank/EverHome Mortgage Company, Financial Freedom, GMAC Mort-gage, HFC, HSBC, IndyMac Mortgage Services, MetLife Bank, National City Mortgage, PNC Mortgage, Sovereign Bank, SunTrust Mortgage, U.S. Bank, Wachovia Mort-gage, Washington Mutual (WaMu), Wells Fargo Bank N.A. and Wilshire Credit Corp.Letters were to have gone out last year to all who lost properties under foreclosure, but if you didn’t get one, it’s not too late to join the review process. But you only have until July 31, 2012, to complete the request and get it in the mail. If your foreclosure process started in 2010 but didn’t end until 2011, you’re still eligible.To request a form or for help filling out a form, can call the comptroller at 1-888-952-9105. To learn more, go online to www.occ.gov and click on Independent Foreclosure Re-view.

Independent Foreclosure Review

Page 3For Advertising Call 205-515-5288

1. Is the book of Psalms in the Old or New Testa-ment or neither?2. From Genesis 4, to whom did God ask, “Why is thy countenance fallen”? Eve, Ahaz, Cain, Esau3. According to early Christian theologians, there are how many hierarchy of angels? 3, 5, 7, 94. From 2 Chronicles 26, at what age did Uzziah become king of Jerusalem? 16, 36, 66, 965. Who was the first person to build an altar unto the Lord? Abraham, Noah, Artaxerxes, Levi6. Which prophet saw the Lord’s angel riding on a red horse? Hosea, Nathan, Zechariah, Isaiah?

Banana Coconut Cream Pie

What mother wouldn’t be pleased if you presented her with a delicious pie you stirred up just for her on Mother’s Day. It gives her a break from kitchen duty and -- unless you tell her -- she’ll never know it took you just minutes to make!

1 (4-serving) package sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder1 2/3 cups water1 teaspoon coconut extract1 (6-ounce) purchased graham cracker piecrust1 cup sliced banana1/4 cup flaked coconut2 tablespoons purchased graham cracker crumbs or 2 (2 1/2-inch) graham crackers made into fine crumbs

1. In a medium saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and water. Cook over medium heat until mix-ture thickens and starts to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut extract.2. Spread 1/2 cup hot filling mixture into piecrust. Evenly layer banana slices and 2 tablespoons coconut over filling. Spoon remaining filling mixture evenly over top.3. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons coconut. Evenly sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 8 servings.

On May 19, 1715, the colony of New York passes a law making it illegal to “gather, rake, take up, or bring to the market, any oysters whatsoever” during May, June, July and August. This regulation was only one of many that were passed in the early days of America to help preserve certain species.

On May 17, 1792, a group of 24 traders gather under a buttonwood tree at 68 Wall Street in lower Manhattan to work out the regulations of the speculative market. The result was the Buttonwood Agreement, a two-sen-tence contract that gave birth to the New York Stock Exchange.

On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss secures the necessary patents for canvas pants with copper rivets to reinforce the stress points. Unable to sell a large supply of can-vas in the California mining camps, Strauss had hit on the idea of using the durable material to make work pants for miners.

On May 18, 1917, six weeks after the United States formally enters the First World War, the U.S. Con-gress passes the Selective Service Act, giving the president the power to draft soldiers. By the end of World War I in November 1918, some 24 million men had registered.

On May 16, 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its first awards. The Academy officially began using the nickname Oscar for its awards in 1939. The name possibly arose when Academy executive director Margaret Herrick re-marked that the statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar.

On May 14, 1944, “Star Wars” filmmaker George Lu-cas was born in Modesto, Calif. Lucas was the first director to hold out for ancillary rights, and in the 20 years following the release of “Star Wars,” he sold more than $3 billion in movie-based merchandise.

On May 15, 1982, “Ebony and Ivory,” a duet by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, takes the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100. This continued the pop music trend of pairing successful duos, such as Barbra Strei-sand and Neil Diamond, and Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.

Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena! Page 4

challenge him throughout the movie. Brandon is such a nice guy, and he’s got such a presence on film. He just really shines and he’s really moving. He was great to work with.”

Q: How is Guiliana Rancic doing after beating breast cancer last year? -- Audrey T., via e-mailA: Guiliana, who beat breast cancer after undergoing a successful double mastectomy last year, is expecting a baby -- via surrogate -- with husband Bill. The baby, who is due later this year, is genetically Guiliana and Bill’s; however, due to Guiliana’s health issues, they de-cided to go with a surrogate to make sure the baby has a greater chance to be carried to full term.

1. MOVIES: What is the first word spoken in “Citizen Kane”?2. GEOGRAPHY: What two countries surround the Dead Sea?3. PERSONALITIES: In what branch of the military service did actor James Stewart serve in World War II?4. MUSIC: Who composed the music for the film “An American in Paris”?5. HISTORY: In which Pacific island group did the United States test atomic bombs?6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the name for a group of geese?7. MEDICINE: What is scoliosis?8. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: Who once said, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful”?9. CHEMISTRY: What metal is liquid at room tem-perature?10. COMICS: In the comic strip “Peanuts,” Shroeder is a fan of whose music?

couldn’t believe the stuff that I was getting to do. By the end of the season, it gets really interesting.” Go to celebrityextraonline.com to read my entire interview with Tony, where he gives inside info about what to expect by season’s end.

Q: One of my favorite screen actors of all time is Anthony Hopkins. What can I see him in next? -- Jared G., via e-mail

A: Presently, Anthony is filming “Hitchcock,” a movie about “Psycho,” “Rear Window” and “Birds” director Alfred Hitchcock. Unless you want to wait until 2013 for the movie, Google “Anthony Hopkins Hitchcock” to see the eerily true-to-life transformation of the enigmatic actor to the horror auteur through the magic of makeup and prosthetics. The film also stars Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Beal, and definitely on my must-see list for 2013.

Q: Can you tell me what Brandon Routh has coming up? -- Theresa G., Brighton Beach, N.Y.A: Brandon has a new movie coming out May 18, which is quite a departure from portraying the Man of Steel. Brandon stars in “Crooked Arrows,” about a reluctant coach who takes on a Native American lacrosse team. I spoke with Crystal Allen, who plays Bran-don’s love interest in the film, and she told me: “Brandon’s character, Joe, and I were high-school sweethearts. I give him a hard time. I

Q: I am so hooked on “Scandal,” the new midseason show on ABC, and I am especially glad to see Tony Goldwyn in a strong supporting role. How is he liking his new role as president of the United States? -- Tina W., Atlanta

A: Like you, I love “Scandal,” so I jumped at the opportunity to speak with Tony about his new role. He told me: “First of all, turn-ing down the role of the president of the United States is difficult. That’s going to be an interesting character, but particularly I knew that with Shonda Rhimes writing a president that he’d be a pretty interesting president. The script was really well written and just a great recipe for really good storytelling.“As an actor, I felt like these gifts kept being dropped in my lap. I’m really grateful to Shonda for involving me; each episode, I

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THE 1970s (continued):

Watergate Hotel. In the coming months it

was involved in covering up the burglary and possessed a number of stolen tapes. When he refused to surrender the tapes, a judge ordered the chief executive to hand them over. In 1974, impeachment proceedings were initiated

United States.”

bottomed pants paired with either a turtleneck

piece suit and wide-collared shirt inspired the disco fashion. For women, hot pants and thigh-high boots were all the rage, as were fringed leather mini-skirts and platform shoes.

hairstyle became fashionable.

in September 1979 as a cable network devoted strictly to sports broadcasting.

Jimmy Hoffa vanished from a restaurant

was allegedly tied to organized crime, and it

body has never been found.

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com is a comprehensive guide to hotels and other facilities where dogs are allowed. Another site, vowwowwow.wordpress.com, is specifically for owners looking to include their pets in their wedding ceremony. Other sources are business review sites like Yelp.com, or word of mouth from friends and neighbors. Even before you settle on a venue, start planning how Suzee will be incorporated into not just the ceremony, but the entire day. You and your fiancee will be incredibly busy and distracted. Heidi Ganahl, CEO of Camp Bow Wow, advises couples to choose a trusted friend, or hire a professional pet sitter, to be Suzee’s caretaker throughout the event. Her attendant won’t just walk Suzee down the aisle to you, but also make sure she is fed, exercised, monitored and has enough “quiet time” so she doesn’t get stressed out. Best wishes on this important day!

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My fiance and I are getting married at the end of June, and we want “Suzee,” our bichon frise, to be an important part of the ceremony. We agreed that she would be present as we exchange our vows, and will be in our wedding pictures.The trouble is that we cannot find a venue that allows dogs, other than service dogs, inside. And we even had to drop one pastor who said that he would not allow Suzee to be present when he led the ceremony! Can you help? -- Kurt W. in upstate New York

DEAR KURT: First of all, congratulations! Second, it’s not unusual for owners to include their pets in important life events like weddings. But it can be difficult finding a venue that accepts pets. You should hit the Internet to search for venues that welcome dogs. Dogfriendly.

Dog Isn’t Welcome at Wedding Venues

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THE 1970s (continued):

phased out, as were sitcoms “Bewitched”

Bunker’s frequently inappropriate remarks about religious, political and social issues of

including “Wheel of Fortune,” “Family Feud”

host with musical guests Janis Ian and Billy

Hustle, and soft rock folks enjoyed the crooning

Billboard magazine declared Elton John the best artist of the decade. We started listening to our music on the Sony Walkman, a portable cassette player, in 1979.

by “Star Wars” in 1977, which quickly became

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It was 17th-century French author Francois de la Rochefoucauld who made the following sage observation: “It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we are so obstinately opposed to current opinions; we find the first places taken, and we do not want to be the last.”

You probably know that Robert E. Lee was a general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and that he ultimately surrendered the war to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the courthouse at Appomattox, Va. You might not know, though, that Lee had a pet hen that traveled with him

everywhere. It’s said that the chicken laid an egg under Lee’s cot every morning.

The National Restaurant Association, which tracks dining statistics, says that the most popular day for eating out is Mother’s Day.

In 1954, Swanson pioneered the frozen dinner when, after Thanksgiving sales had been lower than expected, the company found itself stuck with 10 railroad cars of unsold turkey.

It’s a timeless truth that many kids go through an awkward, gawky period during adolescence. In the 16th century, a boy experiencing this phase was known as a hobbledehoy.

On the morning of a traditional Vietnamese wedding, the bride’s mother visits the groom’s family and presents them with a special plant, representing respect, and chalk that is pink, the color of happiness.

he 1935 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Carl von Ossietsky, a German writer who spoke out about Nazism in general and Adolf Hitler in particular. Hitler was so offended by the actions of the Nobel Committee in honoring his critic that he issued a decree forbidding any Germans to accept a Nobel Prize in the future.

OH, DEER!

Need to know more about the family Cervidae? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here are some facts you may not know about deer. • The word “deer” comes from the Old English word der, meaning “beast.” All species of the deer family are ruminants, meaning the stomach is divided into three or four compartments. They are also characterized by deciduous antlers — antlers that they shed.• There are 38 different species of deer, including the more common white-tailed and mule as well as elk, moose, caribou and reindeer.• Deer are excellent swimmers, even the enormous moose, which can paddle several miles at a time and com-pletely submerge for upwards of 30 seconds. • The smallest of the North American deer is the white-tailed deer. It’s also the most abundant big game animal on the continent. The white-tail is native to all but five U.S. states — You won’t find it in Nevada, Utah, Califor-nia, Alaska or Hawaii. The white-tail can jump as high as 10 feet (3 m) and as far as 30 feet (9 m) in distance. The adult male weighs in at about 200 pounds (90.7 kg). The color of its upper body and sides changes with the seasons — It’s reddish-brown in the summer and a light buff color in winter. • A male moose can weigh up to 1,800 pounds (816 kg). Considering their size, moose are remarkably swift run-ners, up to 35 mph (56 km/hr) over short distances and a steady trot of 20 mph (32 km/hr) for longer intervals. A newborn moose weighs about 30 pounds (14 kg) and grows surprisingly quickly. At just five days old, a calf can outrun a human. • Folks talking about wapiti are referring to elk, second in size only to the moose. A typical bull elk weighs about 700 pounds (315 kg), twice as much as a mule deer, and grows to a height of 5 feet (1.5 m) with a length of 8 feet (2.4 m). The male elk sprouts antlers each year, which may be 3.9-feet (1.2 m) long and weigh as much as 40 pounds (18 kg). Antlers grow at a rate of nearly an inch (2.5 cm) a day and are covered with velvet during the growing season. The Asian culture uses the velvet in some of its medicines. • Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is really a caribou. Caribou live in northern North America, Europe, Asia and Greenland. Typically, the Europeans refer to the species as reindeer, and nearly all Asian and European reindeer are domesticated, while the caribou of North America travel in large wild herds. At the time of the season’s first snowfall, caribou begin a southern migration, traveling as much as 1,600 miles (2,574 km) each year. During the construction of the Alaska Pipeline, it was specifically stipulated that the project could not block caribou migrations. • Caribou are the only species in which the females can grow antlers. The female will bear just one calf each year, one that will be on its feet and traveling the very next day. Its large hooves act as snowshoes to support its bulk over the snow.

Do you have a special event, notice or activity you’D like to announce? tell us! We’ll post it here in

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Mid-South Chapter

Lupus Support Group Meeting St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Health and Wellness

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Saturday, May 5, 2012

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

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The Effects of Lupus on the Brain

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