Story lines to watch at Rio Summer Olympics
Transcription
Story lines to watch at Rio Summer Olympics
The Weekly Bulletin August 9, 2016 Our 23rd Year of Publishing (979) 849-5407 mybulletinnewspaper.com FREE © 2016 PLEASE TAKE ONE LAKE JACKSON • CLUTE • RICHWOOD • FREEPORT • OYSTER CREEK • ANGLETON DANBURY • ALVIN • WEST COLUMBIA • BRAZORIA • SWEENY Reality mixed with virtual Why you should work longer Pokemon Go, near drowning, morning coffee by the waterfall By Jill Schlesinger Tribune Content Agency I have been called a “buzz kill” for advocating that people work as long as possible. I cling to this advice because, in my years as a financial planner, I found that those who worked longer tended to have fewer financial problems and seemed more content as they aged. I recognize that many people really don’t like what they do, or they are burned out, or simply can’t physically continue performing the tasks required for their jobs. But for many years in the past, even those who could continue to work tended to choose not to do so. According to a study from the National Institute on Aging, between the 1950s and the mid-1980s “participation of older men in the labor force declined at a notable rate as more and more men opted for retirement before the standard age of 65.” The decline leveled off after the mid- to late-1980s. (For women, the numbers are different, reflecting their entry into the work force. Proportionally, more women of all ages are now working, including those over age 60.) But two boom-and-bust cycles over the past decade-and-a-half the dot-com and housing bubbles - have prompted a greater share of older Americans to reconsider their previous dreams of early retirement. According to Pew (Continued on Page 4) BC instructor featured in NewYork art show See Page 9 By John Toth Editor and Publisher Story lines to watch at Rio Summer Olympics By Stephen Ruiz Orlando Sentinel (TNS) With the roughly 10,500 participants converging on Brazil for the first Summer Olympics held in South America, the games figure to be remembered for jaw-dropping athletic feats. And some things that have nothing to do with sports. The Zika virus. Water pollution. Body parts washing ashore. Crime. The controversial mix outside the competitive venues is murkier than the Olympic bidding process. Rest assured, good or bad, these Olympics won’t be forgotten. We look at some reasons why. Problems, child In the run-up to the Olympics, health warnings and stories about security concerns, logistical issues and the state of the Olympic Village struck like waves on Copacabana Beach. No doubt, holding an Olympics in Brazil is a risky endeavor. Notable athletes, such as golfers Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, are staying home, mainly for fear of Zika, the mosquito-transmitted virus that can create birth defects in newborns. Some athletes will participate but froze their sperm before heading to Rio. Final countdown Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are expected to compete against each other in an Olympic pool for the final time in the 200-meter individual medley final on Aug. 11. It should be the end of a rivalry unsurpassed in swimming history and among the best in any sport. Phelps, 31, holds the Olympic record for any sport with 22 overall medals. Eighteen are gold, includ(Continued on Page 11) I was in a state park recently, enjoying the waterfall in the morning before it got really hot. It was tranquil - for a while. “I got one,” excitedly yelled a teenager near us, holding up his cellphone. His friends ran over to see. “Oh, man, you’re lucky,” she said as she looked at her own phone. “I wanted to catch that RAMBLINGS one.” Are they nuts? I asked myself. What are they doing by these falls, waving their phones all over the place? One girl waded into the water and yelled, “I got it.” Got what? Then It dawned on me. A week or so earlier a new game app was released called Pokemon Go. They are playing a locationbased reality game that uses the phone’s GPS function to put players at the scene as they chase these Pokemons. I may not be totally accurate in my description of this app. I have no intentions of downloading it or understanding exactly how it works, who wins, or what there is to win. But I do know that it has spread like wildfire. The teens at the falls seemed to enjoy themselves. They ran around getting some good exercise. It it were not for this game, they may have been inside and inactive, playing some killing game, or watching TV. (Continued on Page 9) Page 2 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com Without a parachute, sky diver jumps from perfectly good plane, into net from 25,000 feet LOS ANGELES — Luke Aikins accomplished something Saturday night that no one else has ever done: He jumped out a helicopter 25,000 feet up in the air and landed in a net without a wingsuit or parachute. Aikins landed in a 100-by-100foot net that was set up several stories above the ground in Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley. He then climbed out of the net and gave his wife a hug. She watched the jump from the ground with other family I NEED TO BRING HER IN FOR, UH, QUESTIONING: An 18-year-old man presented himself as an undercover police officer looking for suspects at the Hooters in Kochville Township, Mich. Turns out, he was just trying to get the names of the waitresses. Workers became suspicious when he returned later after having left the place on a skateboard. I DIDN’T MEAN ME: A woman got into an argument with her husband in their Maine home over whether he was having an affair, and got so mad that she pulled out a gun and fired it. He called the cops, who arrested her for domestic violence. Interestingly, she was wearing a T-shirt that said “Stop Domestic Violence.” NEEE-HAW! A man stole a front-end loader, which he used to smash in the front of a liquor store in Anchorage, Alaska, at 3 in the morning to steal booze. He then led police on a low-speed chase through the city until the cops blocked him in. They said he “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests I FEEL PRETTY, OH SO PRETTY: A man returned to his Arkansas home after an out-of-town trip to find the man who he had hired to look after his pets using his laptop while dressed in women’s underwear. FIRST OF ALL, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S MINE? The cops took an intoxicated man to the hospital after they found him slumped over the railing of the Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. While in the emergency room, he vomited 10 bags of heroin. He was charged with drug possession. KA-POW! PROBLEM SOLVED: A man locked himself out of his hotel room in St. Pete’s Beach, Fla., so he shot out the lock on the door. Then he proceeded to shoot out a window for some reason. DUDE, I FEEL ALL WOOLY: A flock of sheep consumed marijuana plants in Rhydypandy, Wales, then went on a “psychotic rampage” through the peaceful, little village, staggering into homes and making a mess and stumbling through town, where some were run over by cars. ANYHOW, WE REALLY ENJOYED THE SHOW: A couple was watching Batman v. Superman in the cinema in Manchester, England, when one thing led to another, and they wound up engaging in full-blown relations right in front of everyone. They were charged with outraging public decency. DAD, WHERE’S MY SNOWSUIT?: A man was arrested for DUI after driving over six lawns and crashing into a fire hydrant in Fairview Park, Ohio. He was wearing only his underwear and his 9-year-old daughter’s snowsuit on one leg at the time. KEEP THE CHANGE, SWEETHEART: A man was arrested for using a counterfeit $100 bill to pay for a lap dance at a strip club in Saginaw County, Mich. BUT NOT TOO LAZY FOR OTHER THINGS: A woman, who was arrested for stealing sex toys and lubricant from a store in St. Petersburg, Fla., told police she was “too lazy” to pay for the items. members. “My whole life has been about air aviation, flying, jumping, all that stuff. It’s the last step that I see,” Aikins, 42, said in an interview with a local Fox station in Washington state, where he lives. “We’ve all dreamed about flying, and I always have to open a parachute.” “I’m here to show you that if we approach it the right way, and we test it and we prove that it’s good to go, we can do things that we don’t think are possible.” About an hour before his jump, Aikins was told by the Screen Actors Guild that he could not complete the stunt without wearing a parachute. The jump, called “Heaven Sent,” was broadcast live on Fox. Aikins indicated he would not open the chute, and as the helicopter climbed 25,000 feet into the air, he was told the requirement had been dropped. He took off the parachute and fell through the sky for two minutes before flipping onto his back and landing in the net. RED TOP, BRAZORIA: Now hiring cook and cashiers. Must be punctual and have reliable transportation. Apply in person ar Red Top Restaurant, Hwy. 36, Brazoria. ABOUT US John and Sharon Toth, Owners and Publishers Since July 4, 1994 THE BULLETIN is distributed each Tuesday by J&S Communications, Inc.. E-mail letters and press releases to john.bulletin@gmail.com. Faxed or mailed announcements are no longer accepted. For advertising information, call (979) 8495407. Advertising and news release deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Our 23rd year of publishing! Strange but True By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D. UNTRANSLATABLE WORDS Q. Drawing on some practically untranslatable words from the world’s languages, what are a few that might be welcome additions to English? A. Let’s start with the Yiddish word “kvell,” meaning “to glow with pride and happiness at the success of others (often family members),” says Steve Mirsky in “Scientific American” magazine, citing psychologist Tim Lomas’s cross-cultural linguistics study for the “Journal of Positive Psychology.” Other languages lack a single word to express this idea. Have you ever felt so excited about waiting for someone that you keep going outside to check if they’ve arrived? There’s an Eskimo Inuit word for that: “iktsuarpok.” As Lomas explains, the value of “untranslatable” words is that they may give voice to hitherto unlabeled experiences. Consider the Georgian word “shemomedjamo” for continuing to eat even when full because it was just so enjoyable; or “utepils” in Norwegian for drinking beer outside on a hot day; or the Portuguese “desbundar” for becoming uninhibited while having fun. “Bantu’s even more specific ‘mbukimvuki’ involves whipping off your clothes to dance,” Mirsky adds. “Hey, it’s tough to dance in tight pants.” And one of Mirsky’s favorite experiences, now named, is the Swedish “gokotta” for “waking up early to go outside to hear the morning’s first birds sing.” HOPPING ON WATER Q. You insectophiles out there are probably well aware of what water striders can do on a routine basis. But are you aware of the splash made last year by imitative roboticists? A. As its name suggests, a water strider can indeed walk on water, but it can hop upward from a watery surface as well -— “one of the natural world’s niftiest tricks,” says Stephen George in “Discover” magazine. Now researchers at Korea’s Seoul National University and Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have emulated the insect’s biomechanics to create a microrobot that can vault 5.5 inches -— more than 10 times its height —- without breaking surface tension. “Made from ultralight components, the tiny bot weighs just 0.002 ounce and gets its leaping power from a built-in catapult mechanism.” www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 3 As the magazine put it, it was “a super-tiny bot making history in a single bound.” BASEBALL SCIENCE Q. How are next-generation sensors making baseball bats (and other sports equipment) smarter than ever? A. The name of the game here is MEMS, for micro-electromechanical systems, tiny machines with elements about the thickness of a human hair, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and pressure sensors, says Karen Lightman in “IEEE Spectrum” magazine. For example, if you want to analyze a baseball player as he whips the bat around, you need to consider rotational angles and swing speed, and now sensor-fusion hardware and software are able to synthesize data output from multiple sources in real time. Consider the smart baseball bat addon developed by the University of Michigan’s Noel Perkins and the University of Pittsburgh’s William Clark. In 2014 Clark’s new company, Diamond Kinetics, rolled out its first commercial product, Swing Tracker, a lightweight sensing accessory that tracks 15 different swing metrics, including power, speed, efficiency and distance the bat travels in the hitting zone. Mounted to the knob of the bat, it captures “11,000 data points per second to analyze swing data and shares that information with coaches via Bluetooth to a mobile device.” Baseball not your sport? Sensor-based equipment can also help boost your performance for golf, tennis, basketball and others. (Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at sbtcolumn@gmail.com) Did you know? • There was a span of three years before Facebook even had a “Like” button, and Mark Zuckerberg initially didn’t like the idea. • The measurement of BMI, or body mass index, can incorrectly flag the athletic or particularly muscular as overweight. • Since 1932, Thailand has had 20 constitutions, largely due to military and political coups. Please let our advertisers know that you saw their ad in The Bulletin Page 4 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com Working past retirement age can result in a better quality, longer life, better health (Continud from Page 1) Research, nearly 9 million people over the age of 65 reported working either full or part time - that’s 18.8 percent of the total number of older Americans. In the year 2000, the share stood at just 12.8 percent. You might think that most of these people are working because they have to earn money, and you would be right. A survey from Transamerica found that fewer than half of retirees say that they have either fully recovered financially from or were not affected by the Great Recession. As a result, 60 percent of retirees said making money or earning benefits was at least one reason they kept working. Thirty-six percent said they work mainly because they enjoy their jobs or want to stay involved. That latter group may be on to something, because many have found that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. According to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, more than half of respondents reported retirement was just “moderately satisfying” or “not at all satisfying”. Perhaps working longer is the key to boosting satisfaction late in life. If you’re not convinced, there is another great benefit to staying on the job: It may actually help you live a longer life. According to a study from Oregon State University, “working past age 65 could lead to longer life, while retiring early may be a risk factor for dying earlier.” Before you send me the terrible notes about people who retire and then immediately become ill, here are the numbers: Healthy adults who retired one year past age 65 had an 11 percent lower risk of death from all causes, even when taking into account demographic, lifestyle and health issues, that those who retired at 65. And even those who describe themselves as unhealthy were also likely to live longer if they kept working. There is some belief that staying active and engaged at work may help fight the natural decline in physical and cognitive functioning, but don’t fret if you aren’t working. There is plenty of research that shows membership in social groups, such as book clubs or religious Orlando Sentinel (TNS) Sensors and cameras would help identify particular visitors, and the data “can be used to output a customized guest experience,” including photographs. Theme parks could also use such a system to mine data about common paths from ride to ride. The company can already track guests at Walt Disney World who use MagicBands, RFID bracelets that function as theme-park tickets, FastPasses, hotel keys and credit cards. Current methods of tracking guests and matching them up “are limited to rather invasive methods, such as retinal and fingerprint identification methods,” the patent information said. “These methods are obtrusive, and some guests may not feel comfortable providing this type of biometric information to a third party.” Beware: Mickey Mouse is watching you ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Walt Disney Co. a patent for a new type of technology: A system that can track theme-park guests through their feet. This project is part of Disney’s ongoing innovative research process, the company said, and many projects it explores may never actually end up in the parks. organizations, after retirement is also linked to a longer life. The key is to remain engaged in some way, whether through work, group membership, or even hobbies, such as bridge or other card games. (Contact Jill Schlesinger, senior business analyst for CBS News, at askjill@JillonMoney.com.) Independent Insurance Agent seeks Licensed Insurance Administrator. Candidate must have 3-5 years’ experience, bilingual, and be able to multi-task while maintaining a friendly disposition with clients. Please email resume to lynette@romerica insurance.com Can nail-biting and thumb-sucking be a healthy habit for children? By Allie Shah Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (TNS) Good news for parents who have struggled to get their kids to take their fingers out of their mouths: Nail biting and thumb-sucking might have health benefits. Those habits, scientists found in a recent study, were linked to less risk of allergies to a host of things — including dust mites, animals, and common molds. The findings support what’s known as the “hygiene hypothesis,” or the idea that a tooclean environment is to blame for the rise of children’s allergies. According to the hypothesis, children who are exposed to some germs early in life develop immune systems that can tolerate contact with different allergens. Other research has shown that children who own pets, attend day care, live on a farm or have many siblings tend to be less prone to allergies. One study found that babies whose mothers cleaned their pacifiers by sucking the object clean were less at risk for asthma. For the nail biting and thumb-sucking study, about 1,000 children from New Zealand participated and were assessed periodically, starting at age 3. A skin-prick test was used to see if there was an allergic reaction to common allergens. The nail biters and thumb-suckers were significantly less likely to test positive for many allergies when they were 13 and 32 years old. But their oral habits didn’t have any bearing on their risk of having asthma or hay fever, the New Zealand researchers noted. Of course, there are other concerns around nail-biting and thumb-sucking, among them: gum injury and social stigma. Acknowledging these concerns, the authors said that they are not making any recommendations. “Although we do not suggest that children should be encouraged to take up these oral habits,” they wrote, “the findings suggest that thumb-sucking and nail-biting reduce the risk for developing sensitization to common (allergens).” Their findings appear in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics. www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 5 Page 6 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com After overcoming hardships, Alvin college student lands scholarships and embarks on future When Crystal Correa was 27, she and her husband had plans to buy a home and return to school to finish their education. But it didn’t happen. Her husband passed away suddenly as had her father, and her daughter had been diagnosed with cerebral Crystal Correa palsy. As the pressures mounted, Correa said she spiraled into a bout with depression. The mother of two has since overcome those obstacles to continue her education at Alvin Community College. “Even though I have suffered hardships, I feel like these struggles have made me very strong and appreciative of life,” Correa said. “I value those around me. I feel like life is beginning anew for me - as if I am getting a second chance.” Correa received several scholarships from Soroptimist International of Alvin. She won the $700 Live Your Dream scholarship. Correa was also awarded District III scholarship for $1,500 and then won a $6,000 scholarship during the South Central Regional Soroptimist conference. She also won a $1,000 scholarship from the ACC Foundation and is a member of the Honors Student Organization. Chartered in 1984, SIOA is part of an international volunteer group and composed of local business and professional women with the desire to help improve the lives of women and children. She is now pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston-Clear Lake after finishing General Studies Degree at ACC. “The goal of Soroptimist is to help women improve not just their lives, but the lives of their families and their communities,” said Johanna Hume, ACC History instructor and chair of the SIOA Scholarship Committee. “Crystal exemplifies this Soroptimist goal by being a wonderful role model to her children and family as she continues her education, always striving for academic excellence as she works toward her career goals.” Returning to school with everything she faced was a daunting challenge, Correa said. Full of self-doubt, Correa worked past her hardships and started college. To help make ends meet, Correa also set up a shop on Etsy - GirlOnCrafts - where she sells different items that she makes as a hobby. “My academic success over the past year and a half has given me a tremendous amount of confidence in my abilities,” she said. “I still have a few years to go, but I know we will make it. I know my husband and father would be proud.” Correa said she will soon be entering a field with a high demand for workers, and her degree provides for versatility in the workforce. “I can do IT, networking, web design, programming, so it’s hard to say exactly where I’ll end up,” she said. “My dream (in the future) is to eventually own my own business where I handle clients’ websites or security.” Winning the scholarships from the Soroptimist organizations will be an important benefit in pursuing her education. “I was absolutely thrilled and feel very lucky to win so many scholarships,” Correa said. “I know there are others that deserve them just as much as me, so to be chosen means a lot to me. It shows that I have several people that believe in me and support me.” Questions and answers about your Social Security Q: I want to make sure I have enough credits to receive Social Security retirement benefits when I need them. How can I get a record of my Social Security earnings? A: The best way for you to check whether you have earned enough credits (40 total, equaling 10 years of work) is to open a free my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount to review your Social Security Statement. Once you create an account, you can: — Keep track of your earnings to make sure your benefit is calculated correctly. The amount of your payment is based on your lifetime earnings; — Get an estimate of your future benefits if you are still working; — Get a replacement 1099 or 1042S. — Get a letter with proof of your benefits if you currently receive them; and — Manage your benefits: — Change your address; and — Start or change your direct deposit. Accessing my Social Security is quick, convenient, and secure, and you can do it from the comfort of your home. In some states, you can even request a replacement Social Security card online using my Social Security. Currently available in some areas in the United States, it’s an easy, convenient, and secure way to request a replacement card online. To find out where we offer this service, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. Q: Although I stopped working a few years ago, I had additional seasonal earnings after my retirement. Will my monthly Social Security retirement benefit increase? A: Possibly. And, you can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. Each year, we review the records for all working Social Security recipients to see if additional earnings may increase their monthly benefit amounts. If an increase is due, we calculate a new benefit amount and pay the increase retroactive to January following the year of earnings. You can learn more about how work affects your benefits by reading our publication, How Work Affects Your Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. (This column was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For fast answers to specific Social Security questions, contact Social Security toll-free at 800-7721213 or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.) Beech honored with service award At the June dinner meeting, the St. John’s Masonic Lodge honored the out-going Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star #705. Scott Leopold, right, presented a certificate of Distinguished Service and Personal Contribution to Freemasonry to Yolanda Beech. www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 7 Protect yourself from beach bacteria while cooling off Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS) The heat wave moving across parts of the U.S. may send many people flocking to beaches for relief from the heat and humidity. Before you grab your beach bag, make sure you pack a pair of sandals or water shoes. “People should be wearing shoes if walking on a beach, especially internationally,” says Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist Dr. Pritish Tosh. It’s not just glass and sharp shells that can cause harm. Tosh says, “Salt-water beaches are generally safe. However, depending on what part of the world, walking on a beach potentially exposes people to parasites that can burrow through the skin.” He says, “In the U.S., our beaches are pretty safe, but there can be glass and shells that can puncture the skin. Even though we generally don’t see the same risks of burrowing parasites as elsewhere in the world, it is still a good idea to wear some sort of protective shoes while walking on the beach.” And, if you step on glass or a sharp shell? “If you get a cut, it is important to wash it and potentially seek medical attention,” adds Tosh. Don’t forget to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen if you spend time outdoors. Mayo Clinic dermatologist Dr. Dawn Marie Davis says there are immediate and long-term effects to sun exposure that include skin damage, skin cancer and premature aging. Too much sun can also lead to what’s sometimes called sun fever. Davis says, “You can get a fever from excessive sun exposure. Stay cool, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and seek shade.” She adds, “Excess sun exposure triggers the immune system — similar to contracting an infection. This is why people feel feverish and chilled when sunburned.” EXTREME HEAT: Did you know? • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. • Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays. • Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day. Page 8 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com Human eye can detect a single photon By Deborah Netburn Los Angeles Times (TNS) Your eyes may be more sensitive than you ever thought possible. In a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications, researchers report that our warm, wet, multicellular eyes have evolved such a high level of sensitivity that they can, on occasion, detect a single photon aimed at the retina. Even the most sophisticated man-made devices require a cool, temperature-controlled environment to achieve the same feat. A single photon is the smallest particle that light is made of, and it is extremely hard to see. “It’s not like a dim flash of light or anything like that,” said Alipasha Vaziri, a quantum physicist at Rockefeller University in New York City and the senior author on the paper. “It’s more a feeling of seeing something rather than really seeing it.” He described it, poetically, as being “at the threshold of imagination.” “If you’ve ever looked at a faint star in the night sky, and one second you see it, but the next second you don’t — it’s kind of like that,” he said. Previous studies dating back to the 1940s have shown that the human eye can detect as few as five to seven photons. But whether a single photon would be detectable proved elusive. Although scientists were able to create light sources that produced an average of one photon at a time, they couldn’t know for sure whether one, two, three or zero photons were released each time the light source was fired. To solve this problem, Vaziri’s team used a process known a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in which a highenergy photon decays spontaneously in a crystal into two lower energetic photons. One of these photons is directed to a subject’s eye while the other is sent to a detector. If the detector notes a photon, then the researchers know the other half of the pair had to be sent to the observer. Vaziri said the strategy of forcing the participants to make a choice — even when they weren’t sure it was right — helped push the subjects to maximum sensitivity. “It was key for the results of the study,” he said. Producing a single photon or any number of defined states of light is not easy. Only recently researchers, mainly working in the field of quantum optics and quantum information, have been able to generate such light states more routinely, Vaziri said. www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 9 Brazosport College instructor featured in NY art show Brazosport College Adjunct Art Instructor Kamilah Campbell Reality, virtual reality and my relaxing morning coffee at the waterfall (Continued from Page 1) I’m all for it. I don’t care what game it is, as long as the kids go outside and play. We used to do that all the time. We played “capture the flag,” which is probably the great granddaddy of Pokemon Go. Another one was “color war,” also called “green and gray.” This game was popular in the summer camp I attended as a kid. The camp was divided into two sides, one gray and one green, and we competed in various events for a few days. The winning team got its banner displayed in the dining hall. That was a lot of fun. Back in those days, we didn’t have cellphones, and the GPS had yet to be invented. But there is nothing wrong with outdoor activity using technology. The activity is important, not the method. The teens around us were catching all kinds of things. Apparently, there are a lot more opportunities around water. I’m just guessing. The first video game I played back-in-the-day had a little ball that bounced across a black and white TV screen. The goal, like ping pong, was to hit it back to the other side. I missed the ball a lot on “Pong,” even on the lower settings. I am not a videogame person. Then Pac Man came along, gobbling up all those dots. I did more folding than gobbling. This was a popular game in video arcades and bars. We played it for a quarter. It was followed by Ms. Pac Man. That concludes my video game experience. If I were to start playing videogames, I would give this Pokemon Go a go. I actually researched it briefly, and one of the links I even stumbled on some cheat codes. Why would you want to cheat in a game that requires that you run around and collect Pokemon? That defeats the purpose of the game to get you outside and get the heart and lungs working. If you’re going to cheat at this game, just stay in airconditioning and kill monsters. “Help,” I heard as I sat in the park by the falls. A muscular man was yelling. He was in the water. At first I thought he needed help catching his stash of Pokemon, but then realized that he was in danger of drowning after he yelled, “This is real.” Mr. Muscle had gone into the water and stepped off into a deep spot. This was not virtual reality. He was splashing his hands up and down, but could not keep above the water. “There has to be an app for that,” I told my wife. I couldn’t resist inserting that line. I was too far from him. There were other people closer, like his pregnant wife, who managed to pull him back to shore. He was fine, except for a bruised ego. Between building up his muscles, maybe he could get a few swimming lessons in. There has to be an app for that also, although when I learned to swim as a kid in camp, the instructor was a person. With all that drowning drama over, and the teens still preoccupied with chasing Pokemon, serenity returned to the falls, and I continued to drink my coffee and enjoy nature, which was beautiful. No app needed. Artwork by Brazosport College Adjunct Art Instructor Kamilah Campbell was recently selected to be featured in a gallery show in Glens Falls, New York. The show, titled “Environmental Portraits,” is presented by the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council and includes works from four different artists. Campbell has three pieces of sculptural works in the show, which highlights installation pieces along with drawn, stitched and painted artworks that explore actual portraiture or present a portrait of our society or place. Campbell’s sculptures were selected after she responded to a call for artists. “I am always happy to have my visual voice among regional and national dialogues,” Campbell said of being selected for the show. “With this show, it is interesting and challenging to have the dialog occur without me there, particularly because the work confronts ideas of color and gender.” Campbell’s art has previously appeared in exhibitions across the country, including shows in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and South Carolina, among others. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Notre Dame University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Clemson University. In October, Campbell will join Brazosport College Art Instructor, Jackson Zorn, to participate in the Art & Words Collaborative Show in Fort Worth. Did you know? • Across the United States there are 1,655 community colleges. Of these, 1,047 are public institutions and 415 private. • According to a new study from Harvard and the Asian Development Bank, 6.7 percent of the world’s population are college degree-holders. • Just 16 percent of students attend private nonprofit colleges and universities. The annual family income of more than 47 percent of undergraduates is less than $40,000. Page 10 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com Why so many athletes are skipping the Rio Olympics By Michelle Kaufman Miami Herald (TNS) Thinking of traveling to Rio for the Olympics and need last-minute accommodations? Perhaps Olympic organizers will consider renting out rooms in the athletes’ village, as there will be more cancellations and vacancies than usual. Although more than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries are headed to Rio, the list of who’s not going has been growing in recent weeks. The entire 68-member Russian track and field team has been banned from participating in Rio following revelations of a widespread government-run doping program and deep-rooted culture of cheating. Recently, the Court of Arbitration for Sport denied a Russian appeal and upheld the ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations. With less than two weeks to go until the Aug. 5 Opening Ceremonies, the International Olympic Committee must now decide whether further sanctions will be imposed on Russian athletes in other sports. There is even the possibility they could deny entry to all 387 Russian athletes. The last time Russia was missing from the Olympics was when it boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Games in retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games. Meanwhile, more than 20 male golfers, including the top four in the world, are saying, “Thanks, but no thanks,” to the historic return of their sport to the Olympics after 104 years. Most of them cited concerns over the Zika virus and scheduling issues (which some critics have translated to mean they would rather make money at a PGA Tour event that week than play for free in Rio). Among those skipping the Games are Jason Day, Jason Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Rory McIroy, who conceded that another reason golfers might not be clamoring to go is that an Olympic gold medal is not the crowning achievement in their sport. “I’ve said to people I have four Olympic Games [major championships] a year,” McIlroy told reporters. “That’s my pinnacle. That’s what I play for. That’s what I’ll be remembered for. “Some people argue that it would have been better to send amateurs there, but the whole reason that golf is in the Olympics is because they wanted the best players to go and compete. But unfortunately with where it is this year, people just aren’t comfortable going down there and putting themselves or their family at risk. “I’d say if the Olympic Games were in most other cities or most other countries in the world this year, you wouldn’t find as many people not wanting to go and participate. “I don’t think it’s embarrassing for the game because most other athletes dream their whole lives of competing in the Olympics, winning an Olympic gold, and we haven’t. We dream of winning Claret Jugs, and we dream of winning green jackets. Whether that makes golf look insular in any way … it’s just the way it is.” The same can be said for Olympic tennis, where Wimbledon finalist and world No. 7 Milos Raonic of Canada is among a handful of Top 20 players backing out of the trip to Rio. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be there competing for gold, but French Open semifinalist Dominic Thiem, No. 16 American John Isner and No. 20 Feliciano Lopez of Spain will not. They all opted to play in ATP Tour events instead as these tournaments give ranking points and the Olympics do not. “It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio Games,” Raonic said on his Facebook page. He represented his country at London in 2012 and plays on the Canadian Davis Cup team. “After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus. “This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games.” Simona Halep, ranked No. 5, and eighth-ranked Tomas Berdych echoed Raonic’s fears. “Family is much too important for me, and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over,” Halep said. Despite widespread concern, a World Health Organization emergency committee recently declared that there is a “very low risk” of the Zika virus spreading further internationally as a result of the Olympics in Brazil. The WHO said the Zika risk in the Rio area will drop significantly in August because it is during the southern hemisphere’s winter, and mosquitoes are not nearly as active then as they are in the summer. Nevertheless, some athletes say they don’t want to take any chances. The symptoms of Zika — rash, headaches and joint pain — are not severe, but the little-understood virus has been linked to microcephaly in newborn babies. U.S. cyclist Tejay van Garderen, whose wife is pregnant, was among the first athletes to bow out. “Although the risks associated with the Zika virus can be minimal and precautions can be taken, my wife Jessica is pregnant, and I don’t want to risk bringing anything back that could potentially have an effect,” he said. The U.S. men’s basketball team will also be missing some big names, although none of them blamed Zika — at least not publicly. Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Chris Paul said they need to rest. Russell Westbrook and James Harden cited “unspecified reasons.” And then there’s Spaniard Pau Gasol of the San Antonio Spurs, who was considering skipping the Olympics but instead plans to take an unusual precaution before heading to Rio. He will freeze his sperm to ensure it will not be contaminated by a mosquito. British long jumper Greg Rutherford and U.S. men’s volleyball coach Jordan Speraw are doing the same thing. How a Charlotte firm helps protect Olympic rowers from Rio’s pollution When the U.S. Olympic rowers put on their training suits next month in Rio de Janeiro, it will represent their dedication to a sport that requires near-perfect synchrony of movement and form. But for Keith Sherrill, it will be a sigh of relief after working to develop and produce the suits for over a year and a half at the Speizman International Seamless Development Lab in Charlotte, N.C. Sherrill, the company’s director of product development, said the rowers’ suits, made from polyester and nylon, fit like a “second skin” and will be much lighter than in years past thanks to the use of the Development Lab’s seamless technology. They’re also designed to protect rowers from Rio’s polluted waterways. Sherill, 50, is responsible for producing 290 U.S. Olympic rower suits, known as unisuits, that the team will wear during training exercises, as well as five unisuits for a rower on the Nigerian Olympic team. During an interview last week, he still had 80 left to make. “The gentleman from the Olympic Committee said there is no backup plan,” Sherrill said. “So if I don’t get these 80 suits out, you will be watching rowers in Rio with no suits.” The seamless technology means that the knitting process will be streamlined by a circular electronic knitting machine made by an Italian company called Santoni, which reduces the number of seams in garments. After producing the suits through the Santoni machine, Asheboro, N.C.based Wells Hosiery and Apparel puts on the finishing touches before they are shipped to Rio. “The athletes are really pleased with the new technology and seamless design,” said Allison Frederick Muller, communications director for the U.S. Rowing Association. “We are excited to travel to Rio in less than a week, and put them to use at the Olympic venue.” Sherrill says the technology will make the unisuits more comfortable, and a closer fit. The suits will also be water-repellent and have an antimicrobial finish to offer some protection against bacteria. “It kills bacteria, and as you know, odor comes from bacteria,” Sherrill said. “I mean literally a lot of your socks are antimicrobial because you wear them and they don’t smell.” Sherrill said the antimicrobial and water-repellent features will be a first for the team. “It was an added advantage to be antimicrobial,” Sherrill said. “The antimicrobial was our idea just to give it extra value.” Keith Sherrill, the Director of Product Development, works on garments at Speizman International Seamless Development Lab in Charlotte, N.C., where the uniforms of the U.S. and Nigerian rowing teams are made. (J. Daniel Hud/Charlotte Observer/TNS) ACC opens for Saturday registration For students who work and may not have time to test, register or apply for Financial Aid for college during the week, Alvin Community College is opening its doors on Saturday, Aug. 13 for the Super Saturday Registration Blitz. ACC staff members will be at the college from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Admissions Office to provide help for those wanting to take courses in the fall. Several services will be offered including state-required testing to attend college. Students must register for testing by Aug. 11 in order to take the exams on Saturday, Aug. 13. Seats for testing fill quickly. The tests will be administered starting at 8:15 a.m. Staff members with the Continuing Education and Workforce Development Department will be available for students who want to enroll in a career training program. Those who need guidance on which courses to take can also visit with academic advisors who will be on hand. Advisors can visit with students to determine which classes will fit their needs and which degree plan is best suited for them. Financial Aid staff members will be available to help students apply for assistance to help pay for their courses. Students will also be able to pay for their classes, purchase their books, obtain a student ID and receive their parking pass. Once students have finished testing and know which classes they want to take, they can then register for the 2016 fall semester. Fall registration is open until Aug. 23. Students who register prior to Aug. 8 will not pay any late fee. From Aug. 9 through Aug. 13 students must make their payment upon registering. Look for us on Facebook www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 11 Story lines to watch at Rio Summer Olympics (Continued from Page 1) ing the past three in the 200 IM. Lochte, the Volusia County native, owns 11 Olympic medals and is the current world and American recordholder in the only individual event in which he is scheduled to compete in Brazil. Lightning rod Usain Bolt of Jamaica is back in a bid to claim gold in the 100 and 200 meters and the 4 x 100 relay for the third consecutive Olympics. He was a curiosity in Beijing, the main attraction in London, and now he has arrived in Rio, stalking history but with a big question mark affixed to his name. How is Bolt, who will turn 30 on Aug. 21 (the date of the closing ceremonies) physically after pulling out of the Jamaican trials because of an injured hamstring? Hobbled or not, Bolt tends to be energized by the biggest races. Old times’ sake Arguably Bolt’s top challenger in Rio will come from a 34-year-old Orlando resident with a checkered past and incredibly fleet feet. Justin Gatlin, who trains at Montverde Academy in Lake County, Fla., is coming off impressive performances in winning the 100 and 200 at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Ore. He will be the oldest American men’s sprinter to race in the Olympics in more than a century. With drug suspensions marring his resume, Gatlin’s past can’t be whitewashed. As for his present, he poses a threat to claim the title of the world’s fastest man — even at his advanced age. Russian roulette In the days leading to the Olympics, the Russian doping scandal made headline news. The International Olympic Committee ruled any Russian athletes with a previous doping offense won’t be allowed to compete in Rio but refused to throw out a blanket nowelcome mat for all of the country’s qualifiers. They left that messy detail to the various sport federations — the Russian track and field team has been barred — but either way, this stain won’t go away. Flipping out Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. For the Olympics, that often means women’s gymnastics — one of the most watched competitions in any summer games. The U.S. gymnastics team has many compelling stories, none bigger than a 4-foot-9 springboard from Columbus, Ohio, named Simone Biles. She is the reigning four-time U.S. all-around champion and has won 14 medals at world, the most ever for an American female gymnast. Hoop it up No LeBron. No Steph. No Anthony Davis. No Blake Griffin. The Americans have won five of the past six gold medals in the sport, the only hiccup coming when they settled for bronze while Argentina took gold and Italy silver. My Answer by Billy Graham Is Heaven real? Without a doubt! Q: How can we know if Heaven exists? Maybe it’s just an idea people dreamed up so they’d have something to look forward to when they die. Or maybe we’ll have to wait until we die to find out if there’s anything afterward. - P.S.G. A: Heaven is real; it’s even more real than the world you see around you. Someday this world in its present form will come to an end - but Heaven will never end! As the Bible says, “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). How do I know Heaven exists? I know it first of all because of God’s promises. From one end of the Bible to the other, God has told us that we were not meant for this world alone. We were created in the image of God - and just as God cannot die, neither can we. Jesus said, “I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). I know Heaven exists also because of God’s plan. We aren’t here by chance; God put us here, and someday He will destroy all evil and bring us into His eternal kingdom. In the words of perhaps the most familiar passage in the Old Testament, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). But I know Heaven exists most of all because of God’s power in Jesus Christ. By His death on the cross, Christ provided the way for our sins to be forgiven, and by His resurrection from the dead, He opened the door to eternal life. By faith give your life to Christ and put your confidence in Him. Then you’ll know beyond all doubt that He is with you right now - and ahead of you is Heaven! Tribune Media Services (Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.) Sponsors of this column Page 12 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com ing Holland’s iconic tulips - destined mill, you realize ... it’s just like you power with mills helped Europe tions. Up along the ceiling, susto make someone’s day. imagined it. come out of the Dark Ages. pended orange trams zip loads of I’m always wary of travel cliches, (Rick Steves ) writes EuroKeeping this country dry is a flowers to the distribution center but they’re not necessarily a bad pean travel guidebooks and hosts constant battle. And with climate across the street, far more quickly thing. In Holland’s polder country, as travel shows on public television change and rising sea levels now a and efficiently than trucks. Workyou pedal a bike past quaint gabled and public radio. Email him at reality, the work is that much harder ers scramble to get each buyer’s By Rick Steves houses reflected in a mirror-smooth rick@ricksteves.com and follow his and more expensive. Famous purchase assembled and shipped Tribune Content Agency canal, gazing upon stunning rows blog on Facebook.) for both their frugality and their out. Every day from this building, When you consider Dutch culof tulips and a whirring oak wind(c)2016 RICK STEVES foresight, the Dutch are investing millions of flowers are sent - includture, you can’t help but think about billions of euros as climate change dikes, windmills, wooden shoes and makes its costly impact felt on seatulips. They seem cliche, but these level communities here and around classic icons intertwine with the the globe. region’s geography and history. It’s pretty easy to tell where the Much of the country is below sea level was around here. If you sea level, reclaimed with great effort scoop up a handful of dirt in polder over many generations from the country, it may come with some North Sea. That’s why the Dutch seashells. At first the salty seabed people like to say, “God made the soil is barren, but with a mix of rain, world, but we made Holland.” sunshine, and clever crop rotation, This land is so small and flat it eventually becomes extremely that the Dutch claim if you stand fertile. Like magic, the Dutch have on a chair, you can see all across turned tidal flats into fields of flowtheir country. (To test this theory ers - another thing the country is during one visit, I borrowed a chair famous for. Holland’s whirring windmills harness wind energy to pump excess water into canals. (Cameron Hewitt, Rick from a farmer, and you really can If you visit between mid-March Steves’ Europe) see for miles!) This polder land - flat and mid-May, a trip to Keukenhof is land reclaimed from the sea - is essential. This 80-acre park is the the source of several greatest bulb-flower Dutch icons, beginning garden on earth - with with wooden shoes that RICK STEVE’S more than seven million allowed farmers to walk blooming bulbs and EUROPE across soggy fields. 800 tulip varieties. It’s (They’re also easy to just half an hour south find should they come off in high of Amsterdam and well connected water because they float.) by public transport - but come early The Dutch employed hundreds to avoid the crowds. I’m not one of miles of dams and mighty barriwho’s really into flowers, but when ers, or dikes, to protect their farms you arrive at Keukenhof and see all and communities from flooding. the gorgeous, colorful blooms, you To pump out all that water, they appreciate just a little bit of what used one of their leading natural tulip mania is all about. resources: the wind. Windmills While Keukenhof is open only drained salt marshes and the in the spring, any time of year you Zuiderzee (the shallow bay in the can see the Aalsmeer flower auction northwest) one section at a time. - the world’s biggest flower-tradWhat had once been fishing villages ing center - located not far from on little islands - like Schokland Amsterdam’s airport. I always visit are now high and dry mounds rising the cavernous building at its 7 a.m. above fertile farmland. opening to catch this beehive at its The Dutch have been using busiest. To get the flowers out as windmills for centuries. Over a thoufresh as possible, everything hapsand survive, and many still work. pens fast, including the bidding. Get a map and rent a bike (or take A “Dutch auction” means that a bike tour), and you’ll find mills just prices start high and tick down; outside the capital city of Amsterbuyers push a button when the dam. You can visit a windmill for a auction clock - projected on huge few euros, and sometimes even get screens - hits a price they’re willing a peek at the clever engine inside to pay. Trainloads of flowers roll that powered this land’s creation. through the hall, while outside, a Once, while climbing into a workKeystone-Cops commotion of deliving windmill during a strong wind, ery cars makes sure all the flowers I felt the wonder and excitement get to their locations that same day industrious people must have felt a - anywhere in Europe. thousand years ago when the techTrolling the fragrant catwalk, it’s nology to harness wind and water fun to peer down on the opera- Appreciating Dutch cliches ACROSS 1 Cellist’s need 4 North of Colombia 9 P.T. goal 14 In a style resembling 15 Make less dangerous 16 Clear 17 Hipster 18 Inspiration for a chewy candy 20 Doglike scavengers 22 Bird on Australia’s coat of arms 23 __-di-dah 24 “Frasier” role 25 Run __: find 28 Horns banned at the 2014 World Cup 31 Tons 35 Nobelist Pavlov 36 Visual greeting 37 Peruvian wool sources 38 “Yo, how’s things?” 39 Colorful island dresses 41 Game show VIPs 42 Umpteen Solutions on the right side of this page In memory of Greg Wilkinson DOWN 1 One of music’s Three Bs 2 Maker of Regenerist skin care products 3 Steam 4 Contemporary electronic music genre 5 Weighty obligation 6 Howard’s best friend on “The Big Bang Theory” 7 “Storage Hunters” network __TV 8 Bonfire leftovers 9 Turndowns 10 Misspeak, say 11 Swag 12 Where Bhutan is 13 “Little Women” woman 19 Rock genre 21 Any thing 25 Felipe of baseball 26 Element in a rechargeable battery 27 Hydromassage facility 28 Travel papers 29 Soft palate dangler 30 Plenty, to texters 32 Timeless 33 __-ovo vegetarian 34 Krupp Works city 37 Island bash 39 Do-it-yourselfer’s nightmare 40 Homely 43 __ Mahal 45 Start of something big? 47 Delaware tribe 48 Presidential debate moderator Jim 50 Seminary subj. 52 Big primates 53 Select 54 Fencing blade 56 Golf great Ballesteros 57 Gorilla who learned sign language 58 Junk food, in adspeak 60 Official at a base 61 Commonly used base 62 “Ideas worth spreading” conference acronym (c)2016 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, INC. (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 13 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk. Solutions Boggle Answers BAY SEA GULF LAKE COVE POND OCEAN HARBOR Bulletin Crossword Puzzle of the Week www.mybulletinnewspaper.com 44 “Hometown Proud” supermarket chain 45 Give (out) 46 It’s a wrap 47 Yoga-inspired athletic apparel brand 49 Actor Piven of “Entourage” 51 __ trip 52 Master 55 Kyoto cash 56 Hammerheads, e.g. 59 Dish at a 37-Down 63 Electron-deficient particle, e.g. 64 Varnish resin 65 Pet problem? 66 Alias lead-in 67 Crashed, so to speak 68 Closer 69 Morning salmon Page 14 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com Bulletin Horoscope THE GREAT TEXAS MOSQUITO FESTIVAL Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The sharpest pencils haven’t yet done any work. You have a tendency to compare yourself to others, but shouldn’t feel let down by the comparison. In the week ahead be proud of your myriad accomplishments. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Relationships may shift to a new level and business alliances could undergo an important transition. You may become more aware of public opinion this week. Innovation under stressful circumstances is your biggest strength. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be confident of your accuracy when dealing with vague problems. In the week to come you may be motivated to be the best you can be. Burn off some nervous energy by accepting an invitation for a change of scene. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Shakeups are quickly forgotten after the dice have been thrown. Make an effort to cooperate with everyone as this week unfolds. You and a partner must come to terms about a joint financial obligation or investment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The atmosphere may cool down when there are restrictions. Attention to detail is called for in the week ahead and you must show respect to those in control. However, you are quite capable of manipulating circumstances in your favor. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Make a choice. You can fall prey to fear or promote understanding. In the week ahead you can tighten the bonds of key relationships or launch important initiatives with impunity. This might be a good time for a first date or meeting. History of the World Aug. 8: ON THIS DATE in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the rest of his life in exile after his army was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in present-day Belgium. In 1974, President Nixon announced he would resign the next day at noon after new revelations in the Watergate scandal erased any chance he had of avoiding impeachment. Aug. 9: ON THIS DATE in 1854, Henry David Thoreau published Walden. In 1945, the United States exploded a nuclear bomb over Nagasaki, Japan, which led to the empire’s surrender in World War II a few days later. Aug. 10: ON THIS DATE in 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships set sail to circumnavigate the Earth. Only one ship completed the voyage. In 1988, President Reagan signed a measure providing $20,000 payments to Japanese-Americans who had been interned during World War II. Aug. 11: ON THIS DATE in 1909, the SOS distress signal was first used by an American ship, the Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras, N.C. In 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at the island prison Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay. Aug. 12: ON THIS DATE in 1953, the Soviet Union conducted secret tests of its first hydrogen bomb. In 1981, IBM introduced the personal computer and PC-DOS version 1.0. Aug. 13: ON THIS DATE in 1624, French King Louis XIII named Cardinal Richelieu his first minister. In 1907, the first taxicab began By Mark Andrews Tribune Content Agency operating in New York City. Aug. 14: ON THIS DATE in 1900, international forces, including U.S. Marines, entered Beijing, then called Peking, to put down the Boxer Rebellion, which was aimed at purging China of foreigners. In 1935, the Social Security Act became law, creating unemployment insurance and pension plans for the elderly. Answer to last week’s question: This week in 1981, Pete Rose broke Stan Musial’s National League record for most career hits. This week’s question: In 1962, whom did Ringo Starr replace as drummer for the Beatles? Did you know? • A group of wombats is called a “wisdom.” • “Happy heart syndrome,” a dangerous swelling of the heart mid-ventricle, is triggered by happy events like birthday parties and weddings. • When a bald eagle loses a feather on one wing, it will lose a feather on the other wing just to keep its balance. • Workers constructing the new World Trade Center could eat at a Subway restaurant that moved up the building as it was built. Jumble Answers Jumbles: BUILT POISE MODISH ENDURE Answer: Members of country clubs have these -- DUES AND DON’TS ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your motto may be “the more the merrier” as this week unfolds. The urge to experiment with new and different things may be more tempting than usual. Your idea of what can be fun might amuse or intrigue less adventurous souls. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Manners mean everything. There is a tendency for authority figures to be exacting in the week ahead, with a requirement for formality and respect. Your ambitions may surge and social exchanges may have a businesslike air. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Reserve judgment and make your own decisions. The attention of others can boost your spirits but it may be best to get all the facts before making a promise. Close companions may expect you to uphold high standards this week. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Congeniality and sociability is tempered by decorum as the week unfolds, so horseplay may be inappropriate. Remain organized and tend to the business at hand. Handle financial affairs with an eye on long term profits. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You seem to have the golden touch. Use an opportunity to bind someone more closely who can enrich your life or your wallet. People you meet in the week to come could be especially helpful over the long term. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It might be a wonderful week to plant seeds for the future. Promises that are made will very likely be honored and business plans will be well organized. Loved ones, however, may ask, “What’s in it for me?” www.mybulletinnewspaper.com (979) 849-5407 August 9, 2016 THE BULLETIN Page 15 MR. MORRIS THE MIDDLETONS By Rick Brooks By Ralph Dunagin and Dana Summers CHARMY’S ARMY By Davey Jones BROOM HILDA By Russel Myers ANIMAL CRACKERS By Fred Wagner Scramble solutions: use a mirror to check your answers Did you know? • An Egyptian military court sentenced a four-year-old boy to life in prison for murders committed when he was one year old. • A reporter’s experiment found that it took longer to get a Cronut than a gun in the state of New York. • High levels of intense exercise can permanently change the structure of the heart, predisposing some individuals to arrhythmias. • According to a study, people overwhelmingly equate physical strength with higher status and leadership qualities in men. • According to research on social media, words that are emotionally neutral or slightly pessimistic are more persuasive than happy words. Page 16 THE BULLETIN August 9, 2016 (979) 849-5407 www.mybulletinnewspaper.com CLASS SCHEDULE FOR THE FOLLOWING SATURDAYS: August 13 ~ August 20 August 27