If . . .
. . . you want to get rid of your problems
today,
work on getting a hangover
tomorrow.
Grief Can Be Managed
One of life’s cruelest blows is the loss of a loved one. The first thing you have to do is face the fact that you’re mourning. Don’t fight your feelings as they gush onto you. They’ll range from self-pity to anger at the entire universe. They may strike right away or lay in wait to spring out at some unexpected later date. How long they last can be up to you.
Most everyone – experts as well as those who have experienced such a loss – suggest you conjure up and catalog the pleasant memories and consider how lucky you are to have had that person enrich your life. Be thankful for the happy times as you recall them. Keep trying to have the best day you can because your feeling of loss is not going to go away.
You may never whistle or hum a happy tune again, but don’t feel guilty when you get through the day without feeling tired all the time. Returning to your daily routine will help get you closer to normalcy – eat, sleep, and exercise like you used to. Go shopping, have coffee with friends, and call relatives like you used to.
If somebody in your circle is experiencing the same loss, reach out and share some time with them. Talking about your loss, and theirs, can help both of you climb out of grief. There’s no need to place the deceased person on a pedestal. The simple thing to remember is that they were your friend and you enjoyed time together.
You’re managing your grief well if you catch yourself smiling or laughing again.
Historic Palomar Observatory
By Tom Morrow
With a $6 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, astronomer George Ellery Hale orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the world’s largest astronomical telescope on Palomar Mountain about an hour northesat of San Diego, CA.
It took 20 years to complete the Hale telescope that was double the diameter of the 100-inch-diameter reflecting telescope in the Mt. Wilson Observatory north of Los Angeles. The Palomar project pioneered many new technologies in telescope-mount design and in the fabrication of its aluminum coated “honeycomb” Pyrex mirror. Since its completion in 1949, Palomar in active use as one of the world’s largest and most-sophisticated land-mounted telescopes.
For more than 30 years, the Hale Telescope represented the technological limit in building large optical telescopes until the Soviet Union built a six-meter (236 inches) one in 1976. Palomar remained the world’s second largest until 1993 with the construction of the two 300-plus-inch Keck optical telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Maui..
Palomar is operated by the California Institute of Technology and continues to conduct research programs that cover the vast range of our observable universe, including near-Earth asteroids, outer Solar System planets, Kuiper Belt objects, a variety of star formations, and black holes. Research research partners include the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,, Yale University, and the National Optical Observatories of China.
The first telescope built on the Observatory complex was an 18-inch Schmidt camera put into operation in 1936. In addition to the giant 200-inch Hale Telescope, there are the 48-inch Schmidt Telescope, Palomar 60-inch Telescope, and 12-inch Gattini Telescope, all of which are involved in continual research. The 48-inch and 60-inch telescopes operate robotically and are active in deep-space exploration.
While Palomar Observatory is a research facility, there are selected Observatory areas open to the public during the day. Visitors can take self-guided or guided tours of the 200-inch telescope daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The observatory is open seven days a week except for Dec. 24-25 and during inclement weather.
All Things . . .
. . . must pass,
we’ve been schooled to believe,
but what do you when
you’re behind a school bus.
Strokes Kill More Women
Than Does Breast Cancer
One out of every five women between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke. The risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.
Because stroke robs the brain of blood and oxygen, it kills brain cells that can lead to
paralysis, loss of speech, loss of memory, diminished reasoning, coma — sometimes death. Stroke leaves more than 60 percent of its victims disabled.
To protect against stroke, avoid smoking. Studies indicate about one out of four women 18 and older are smokers. Eating a balanced, low-fat diet to control blood cholesterol levels also helps. And maintaining even a moderate level of physical activity helps control weight.
When You Tell Jokes . . .
. . . avoid any about the unemployed
because they don’t work.
Preparing for Death Helps the Living
Several years ago, a friend in his early 40s who was the police chief in our city, was diagnosed with raging cancer and given a few weeks to live.
He called all his friends and colleagues to a night at a local club and hosted a farewell party. At the beginning of the evening, he told everyone of his situation, told them all to eat and drink up and that he didn’t wish to see them anymore because he wanted them to remember him as he was that night.
That was his funeral.
You don’t have to do the same thing. You can acquire a life-insurance policy payable on your death to be used to pay for the casket and caterer when you pass away.
You can pare the price by opting for less-expensive cremation rather than pay for an elaborate and costly sealed box to house your remains underground.
There’s no need to buy a pre-paid package from the funeral home down the street.
In fact, some two-thirds of the more than 70-million aging baby boomers do not perceive traditional funeral-home service as a good value. Slightly more said they do not trust funeral homes to not take advantage of people during their time of sorrow.
You can work out your own funeral plans simply and economically. First ask yourself if you want an elaborate service and several-day visitation or do you prefer a simple gathering of relatives and friends. Do you want to be buried in a casket or is cremation your preference? What does your family want? Discuss it with them.
Just as sure as you were born, with which you had nothing to do, you’re going to die, but you can so do something about the arrangements.
The Nurse . . .
. . . in the doctor’s office yesterday
was going to give me a memo
but when she reached into her pocket
she pulled out a rectal thermometer,
which prompted her to explain,
“Some asshole has my pen.”
Boomers Retirement Wealth
Surpasses Predecessors
The initial generation of baby boomers who are now in their 70s have accumulated more wealth
at the same age than their previous generation, according to research compiled by the University
of Missouri-Columbia. The results do not support the commonly held stereotype of free-spending boomers.
Boomers have more than triple the amount of savings in stock funds compared with their predecessors. This could affect proposed Social Security reform that encourages even broader investment in
equities since the government program is designed to be a hedge against increased exposure to stock-market risk.
Researchers compared financial records of the first generation of baby boomers – those
born between 1945 and 1957 – with those of the last generation of pre-boomers born between
1933 and 1945.
A Relative . . .
. . . who works in the movie business
said she just left a job
without making a scene.
Church-Goers Live Longer
Older Americans, especially women, who attend religious services at least
once a week have a better chance at longevity than those who don’t, according to gerentology study. The risk of dying for frequent church attenders was 46 percent lower than for those attending services less often, even after adjusting for demographic factors, physical- and mental-health conditions, social connections and health practices.
A number of psycho-social and behavioral pathways could be responsible.
First, frequent church-attendees have larger social networks and experience greater
support than infrequent attenders. Greater social support may also have direct effects on
the immune system to fend off disease and facilitate recovery.
Second, frequent religious attendance may foster attitudes of compliance and care for the
physical body.
And, finally, religious attendance is related to lower rates of depression, anxiety, and stress.
What has not been made clear is why women seem to have an edge over men in their survival rates.
Just Learned . . .
. . . the term “gaslighting”
used so much these days by the talking TV heads
is derived from the stage play and movie “Gaslight”
way back in the 1930s.
In which an abusive husband
manipulates the gas lights bright and dim
while telling his wife she’s just imagining it
and that she’s losing her mind.
It’s become a term for blaming you
for what I’m doing and
everything is all your fault.
For People . . .
. . .who are colorblind,
do things come to them
out of the green?
There’s A Simple Reason . . .
. . .why a kangaroo can jump
higher than a house.
Houses can’t jump.
Don’t Say ‘Nuts’ to Almonds
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the claim that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Scientific evidence suggests that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the statement.
The claim, which is based on the rigorous review of scientific research citing the heart health benefits of nuts, is a result of a petition filed by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation.
Most Drivers . . .
. . .around here
haven’t learned that
there’s more to being a motorist
than aiming a car.
If It Sounds too Good to be True . . .
A family member received an e-mail from a sender who identified themselves as an attorney in Lagos, Nigeria. They cited the list of difficulties they had tracking down any relatives of their client, who worked for the “Atlas Dreging company in Nigeria” at the time of the crash that killed him, his
wife, and two children “along sagbama express road.”
After several inquiries to various embassies, the sender decided to try the Internet to locate any
relatives of the deceased family “to assist in repatriating the money and properties left behind by
my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge
deposit were lodged…where the deceased had a deposit valued at about U.S. $5.3 million.”
The sender pointed out quick action was required because he only has six weeks to get back to the
bank with legitimate claimants to the fortune.
“You and I can share the money as follows, 60% shall be for me, while 40% of the funds shall be
retained by you. However, Upon release of the funds to you, My own share shall be held in trust
for me pending when I come over to your country for the disbursement of the funds stated
above,” the message continued.
So how can I go wrong, the victim asks. The money is in my hands and I hold onto it until this
lawyer fellow comes over and gets his share. And 40 percent of $5.3 million isn’t bad.
“Therefore, All I require is absolute trust and your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect
you from any breach of the law. please get in touch with me immediately as I do not have much
time at my disposal.”
It’s a scam. An obvious giveaway in this case is the stilted language, misspelling, and discordant
grammar in the message.
My bank circulated a warning about a resurgence of the Nigerian Advance Fee scheme,
which has been around for decades. But people still fall for it.
This scheme involves receipt of a letter or e-mail claiming to come from someone who works for the
Nigerian Central Bank or some Nigerian government agency.
The recipient is told the senders seek a reputable foreign company or individual into whose
account they can deposit funds to facilitate a large transaction, for which the recipient will be paid
a fee, usually a percentage of the funds being moved. A variation is to require the recipient to pay a good-faith deposit or bond to participate in this transaction.
The goal by the crooks in all these cases is to make the victim believe he or she has had the good
fortune to be singled out for such a munificent amount of money.
Mature Life Features 