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MARDI GRAS PARADESby Patricia L. Cook

Next week, on February 21, many people around the globe will celebrate Mardi Gras. This issue of Tidbits will “laissez les bons temps rouler” (let the good times roll) as we explore this celebration. • •ThecitymostassociatedwithMardi

Gras in America is New Orleans. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” the Tues-day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the Christian season of Lent. It is also the last day of the Carnival season. “Carni-val” season is a period of feasting and fun that always begins on January 6, which in Christianity is the Feast of Epiphany, following the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” While mostly celebrated in areas where Roman Catholicism is predominant, Epiph-any is celebrated in other churches as well.

• •InNewOrleans,paradeshappenforseveral weeks before Mardi Gras, but the largest and probably most famous happen on the last weekend before and through Mardi Gras day. There are about a dozen held in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day, with even more in the suburbs.

• •MardiGras,AshWednesdayandLentare all important times for Catholics. Ash Wednesdayisthefirstof40days(exclud-ing Sundays) prior to Easter that make up Lent. Lent is a time of preparation for Eas-ter, when the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated.

• •AnothertermusedforMardiGrasis“Shrove Tuesday.” Shrove is the past tense of “to shrive” and means “to go to or make confession.” Mardi Gras is known as the day to party. In New Orleans, when the clock strikes midnight, Lent starts, and the

Issue #495Of South Denver Metro

...continued on page 2

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My Mother taught me about: •Anticipation... “Just wait until your father gets home.”•Meeting a Challenge... “What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you ... Don’t talk back to me!” •Logic... “If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, your not going to the store with me.”•Medical Science... “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”•Thinking Ahead... “If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job.” •ESP... “Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”•Humor... “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come run-ning to me.”•How to Become an Adult... “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.” •Sex.... “How do you think you got here?” •Genetics... “You’re just like your father.” •My Roots... “Do you think you were born in a barn?” •Wisdom of Age... “When you get to be as old as I am, you will under-stand.” •Justice... “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you... then you’ll see what it’s like.”

Thiskrewestartedintheearly1900s,withtheirfirstofficialappearanceasZulusin1909.Thegroupstartedfromagroupofblack men who belonged to a Benevolent AidSociety.Thesesocietieswerethefirstforms of insurance in the black community where, for annual dues, members re-ceivedfinancialhelpwhensickandfinan-cial aid when needing to bury deceased members.

• •ZulusmadeadistinctimpressiononMardiGrascrowdsin1909bybeingtotally different. They wore raggedy pants and had a quartet singing in front and behind their king. The king wore a “lard can” crown and carried a “banana stalk” scepter.

• •AnotherdifferencewiththeZuluParadeis their unusual throws. Possibly as early as1910,thekrewemadetheirmarkbythrowing coconuts, known as “Golden Nuggets.” In the early years the coconuts were in their natural “hairy” state, but a few years later, the krewe started handing out beautiful painted and decorated coco-nuts.

• •In1988,theLouisianaLegislaturepassed a law dubbed the “Coconut Bill” that excluded the coconut from liability for injuriesarisingfromtheZulushandingoutcoconuts in their parades.

• •LouisianaistheonlystatewhereMardiGras is a legal holiday.

Parades... (continued)

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party ends. Mounted police lead a parade of street cleaners, clearing and cleaning the city.

• •HistoriansbelievethatFrenchexplor-ersIbervilleandBienvilleheldthefirstAmericanMardiGrasonMarch3,1699.AfteraverydifficultjourneydowntheMis-sissippiRiver,theylandedabout60milessouth of New Orleans. They had a small celebration and named the area “Pointe due Mardi Gras.” Bienville also established “Fort Louis de la Louisiane,” which later became Mobile, Alabama. Many say that thefirstofficialMardiGraswasheldinMobilein1702.(Duringthistime,beforethe Louisiana Purchase, Mobile was part of Louisiana.)

• •Formanyyears,NewOrleansandotherFrench settlements of the South marked the Mardi Gras holiday with street parties, masked balls and lavish meals. When the Spanish took control of New Orleans, they abolished the rowdy celebrations. The bans were in force until Louisiana became astatein1812.

• •Secretsocietiesorclubs,calledkrewes,startedformingasearlyas1781.ThefirstwasthePerseveranceBenevolent&Mutual Aid Association. Krewes started the parades as we know them today and keep them going. The krewes are private, non-profitorganizationswhosemembersplan and pay for their parades, costumes, throws and more. There are no sponsor-ships or city funds used.

• •Bythelate1830s,therewereproces-sions of masked people with carriages and riding horseback. Newspapers started announcing the Mardi Gras events in advance. More krewes formed, and today therearemorethan50paradesintheGreater New Orleans area.

• •OnFebruary24,1857,theMistickKrewe of Comus, a secret society of busi-nessmen, organized a torch-lit procession withrollingfloatsandmarchingbands.This began the parade traditions that per-sist today. The parade was followed by a ball for the krewe and their guests.

• •Todaytheelaborate,invitation-onlyballsfor the many krewes begin when Carnival Season starts on January 6. Each krewe elects a king and queen and their court. Theywearmasksandareneverofficiallyrevealed; except for Rex, who as the King of Carnival, is revealed the day before the parade.

• •TheKreweofRex,organizedin1872bya group of businessmen, came up with the idea to have a King of Carnival. They held thefirstparadeduringthedaytime.Thiskrewe introduced the Mardi Gras song (“If EverICeasetoLove”),theflagandthecolors of purple, green and gold. Mean-ingwasassignedtothecolorsin1892:Purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power.

• •Whilemostparadesrequirecrowdstosimplywatchandapplaudwhenfloatspass, Mardi Gras crowds work hard to catch “throws.” This tradition started in 1871.Themostpopularthrowsarebeads,plastic cups and doubloons. Doubloons are aluminum medallions, like large coins, that depict the parade theme on one side and the krewe’s emblem on the other. The firstmedallionsappearedin1884,withtheKrewe of Rex, and the start of doubloons likethosegivenouttodaystartedin1960also with Rex.

• •TheactualnamefortheKreweofRexis the School of Design. Rex, the King of Carnival, arrives by a boat that crosses the Mississippi River on the night before Mardi Gras. When Rex arrives, the Mayor of New Orleans presents him with the key to the city.

• •Oneofthemostpopularand“different”parades held during Mardi Gras in New OrleansisputonbytheKreweofZulu.

...continued on next column

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¥OnFeb.16,1848,romanticcom-poserFredericChopinplayshisfinalconcert in his adopted city of Paris, 18monthsbeforehisdeathfromtuberculosisattheageof39.AfterfleeinghisnativePoland,hespentthe rest of his life amid the high soci-ety of France.¥OnFeb.19,1851,anangrymobin San Francisco’s business district “tries” two Australian suspects in the robbery and assault of C.J. Jansen. Vigilantes were fairly common during the Gold Rush boom in San Francis-co, and they were so well regarded that they took over the Democratic Partyinthelate1850s,andsomebecame respected politicians.¥OnFeb.18,1885,MarkTwainpublishes his famous and controver-sial novel “The Adventures of Huck-leberry Finn.” At the book’s heart is the journey of Huck and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, down the Mis-sissippi River on a raft.¥OnFeb.13,1915,TheAmericanSociety of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is formed. ASCAP collects and distributes roy-alties for copyrighted musical works. Today, ASCAP reports that it distrib-utesmorethan$800millioninroyal-ties annually to its members.¥OnFeb.14,1929,SirAlexanderFleming, a bacteriologist, discov-ers penicillin. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold, simi-lar to the kind found on bread, had fallen on the culture and had killed many of the bacteria.¥OnFeb.15,1933,president-electFranklin D. Roosevelt escapes an assassination attempt. Deranged, unemployed brick layer Giuseppe Zangarashouted,“Toomanypeoplearestarving!”andopenedfirewithsixrounds.Zangara’sextremeactionreflectedtheangerandfrustrationfelt among many Americans during the Great Depression.¥OnFeb.17,1966,BrianWilsonof the Beach Boys rolls tape on the firsttakeof“GoodVibrations.”Sixmonths,fourstudiosand$50,000later,hefinallycompletedhis3minute,39secondsymphony,piecedtogetherfrommorethan90hoursoftape recorded during literally hun-dreds of sessions.

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Week of February 13thARIES (March 21 to April 19) You don’t like rejection. But instead of trying to “ram” your ideas through to an unreceptive audience, stand back and wait for a more favorable environment later this month.TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Job commit-ments call for the tidy Taurean to charge into those problem-plagued projects and get them into shape. Then go ahead and enjoy the fun and friendships of your expanding social life.GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The pressures of the workplace are beginning to ease. While you still need to stay connected to your ongoing commitments, you’ll be able to take more time to relax with family and friends.CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might feel that you need to prove how much you can do. But be careful not to take on more than you can handle, or you risk being bogged down. An Ar-ies has a message for you.LEO (July 23 to August 22) Financially it could be a little tight for a while. So resist the urge to splurge on things you don’t really need. There will be time enough to indulge yourself when the money squeeze eases later this month.VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You de-mand trust from others. But someone is creating a situation that could put your own trustworthi-ness in question. Be sure to keep all lines of communication open.LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A prob-lem delays the recognition that you hoped to receive for your hard work. But all will soon be resolved. Remember to make patience your watchword this week.SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Those wonderful ideas could expand your workplace prospects and ultimately lead you on a new ca-reer path. Your personal life also opens up new vistas.SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) So much seems to be swirling around you these days that you might find it hard to focus on priorities. Best advice: Take things one at a time, and you’ll get through them all.CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Work out situations with what you have, and avoid the temptation to create complications where they don’t exist. This applies both at home and in the workplace.AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Keep your keen senses open to possible changes in personal and/or professional situations. Know-ing what might lie ahead gives you an edge on how to handle it.PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Personal pressures at work could create a problem with your performance. Best advice: Focus on the job ahead of you. If necessary, you can deal with the other issue later.BORN THIS WEEK: Like your fellow Aquar-ian Abraham Lincoln, you have a way of han-dling the most difficult situations with grace and conviction.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Page4 Tidbits® of South Denver Metro Issue#495

Sciatica: Big Nerve Can Be Big ProblemDEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 78-year-old woman, and five months ago I came down with sci-atica in my left leg underneath the buttock. It’s very painful. I’d like to know if there is something that can be done. -- S.M.

ANSWER: The sciatic (sigh-ATTIC) nerve is the body’s longest and largest nerve. It springs from nerve rootlets that emerge from the spinal cord in the lower back. Those rootlets intertwine to form this big nerve. It travels from the back, through the buttocks and down the leg to the foot. Anything that presses on or irritates the nerve in its long course gives rise to sciatica (sigh-ATTIC-uh), painful inflammation of the nerve.A bulging back disk can press on the nerve. Arthritic spurs on the spine are another source of ir-ritation. A collapse of a backbone from osteoporosis is another trigger for pain, and the pain can be in the lower back, the buttocks or down the leg to the foot.Have you tried Tylenol (acetaminophen) for pain relief? Aleve, Advil, Motrin and the many other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs dull pain and quiet inflammation. Icing the painful back area for 10 to 15 minutes three times a day is another way to numb pain. If ice doesn’t work, turn to heat -- hot compresses or a heating pad.Stretching the back might take pressure off the nerve. Sit on a firm chair with feet on the floor and knees shoulder-width apart. Turn slightly to the left. Then, with your right arm dangling down be-tween the knees and left arm dangling down on the outside of the left knee, bend down to the floor as far as you can and hold that position for five seconds. Straighten up and reverse the process by turning to your right and arranging your arms with the right arm outside the right knee and the left arm between the knees. If this exercise hurts, stop. If it doesn’t, perform five bends each, to the right and then to the left. Do the exercise three times a day.Five months is a long time to put up with back pain. I’m not sure if self-treatment will do much for you. You need a doctor’s intervention, along with physical therapy.The booklet on back pain delves more deeply into its causes and treatments. To order a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 303W, 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: Some time ago, you answered a letter from an 80-year-old lady who asked if she still needed to have mammograms. I say an unqualified yes. Two years ago, at the age of 82 1/2, my mammogram detected cancer. Surgery was followed by radiation. Two years later, I am feeling fine and doing well. -- A.S. ANSWER: Experts argue about the value of mammograms late in life. Stories like yours make me side with those who promote having mammograms as long as a woman is in reasonable health. If a woman has an estimate of living at least four more years, mammograms are a good idea.***Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2012 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

A couple with three children waited in line at San Fran-cisco’sPier41topurchase tickets for a boat trip to Alcatraz. Others watched with varying degrees of sympathy and irritation as the youngchildrenfidg-eted, whined, and punched one an-other. The frazzled parents reprimanded them to no avail. Finally, they reached the ticket win-dow. “Five tickets, please,” the father said. “Two round trip, three one way.”

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Finding Lower-Rate Credit Cards

If your credit is solid but you’re paying high-er credit-card interest rates than you’d like, don’t expect the credit-card company to lower your rate without a request from you. Even then it’s likely you’ll be stuck. But you haveanotheroption:creditunions.It’s likely that a credit union will be your best bet for a credit card you’ll want to keep long term. The National Association of Federal Credit Unions [www.nafcu.org] wrote in a recent news release that credit unionshaveanupperlimitof18percentforboth credit cards and loans. Their average credit-card interest rate is 12 percent, with someaslowas9percent.When it comes to fees, credit unions are generally much lower. Credit unions are not-for-profit,sothey’renotouttochargea fee for every loophole they can get away with.You’llfindATMs,goodserviceandafriendly staff because as an account holder, you are a member-owner.If you want to look for credit unions you’re eligible to join and see a comparison be-tween their rates and banks, go online to www.culookup.com.(Tip:Onthelookupscreen, it asks for your whole street ad-dress. Don’t give it. You’ll get just as much informationbyputtinginjustyourZIPcode.)You’ll be shown a map of credit unions in your area. On the left side, click on Com-pare CU Rates for comparisons on nearly anyfinancialproduct:carandboatloans,adjustable-andfixed-ratemortgages,money-market accounts, credit cards and certificatesofdeposit.Thesitealsohasa number of calculators for home, credit, retirement, savings and auto. Remember:Don’tcancelyourothercreditcards if you take a new one for a better deal. Bring the balance to zero on old card, and then let the card sit unused. Your credit score is partially determined by the total amount of credit available to you versus the percentage of that amount you have used. If you have an unused card with a $10,000availabilityandyoucancelthataccount, the percentage of your total avail-ability drops. As the percentage of credit you use rises (after you cancel a card), your credit score drops. Keep your percent-ageunder30percent.

DavidUffingtonregretsthathecannotpersonallyanswer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475,Orlando,FL32853-6475,[email protected].

(c)2012KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

ForAdvertisingcall303-797-7572 Page5February14-February22,2012

Explore the World of International Investments

You’re probably accustomed to measuring the progress of your investments, and the overall condition of the in-vestment world, by checking on indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. And since these types of benchmarks focus al-most exclusively on American

companies, you might get the idea that the best investments are located right here in the United States. But that impression would be false — be-cause there are, literally, a world of investment opportunities beyond the U.S. borders.

In fact, as of the end of 2010, U.S. stock markets constituted less than a third of the total global stock market value, according to the World Bank. And you can probably just look around at the products you use in your daily life to identify many successful foreign companies.

Why invest a portion of your portfolio interna-tionally? Here are a couple of reasons to con-sider:

Growth potential — The United States is a mature, highly developed economy. That doesn’t mean, of course, that we have no “upside” here. However, you can also find considerable growth potential in emerging markets — countries such as China, India, Brazil and Mexico that are char-acterized by younger, less mature economies. Diversification — The world’s financial markets are somewhat dependent on one another, but that doesn’t mean they constantly move in unison. In any given year, the U.S. markets may be down, but international markets might be doing bet-ter. Consequently, if during that year, you had invested only in U.S. companies, your portfolio may have taken a hit. It’s important to diversify your portfolio by investing in many different vehicles, but you can also boost your diversifica-tion through geography. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss.) While international investing can be beneficial, it does not come without risks. For one thing, when you invest overseas, you may encounter political instability, which could threaten the financial markets of a country or region. Con-versely, financial problems, such as the Euro-pean debt crisis, can result in loss of confidence in individual governments. Also, you might experience currency risk, which means that changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies could harm the value of your investments. And in any given year, any market, foreign or domestic, may be down.

Ultimately, you should probably limit your exposure to international investments to no more than 20% to 25% of your overall portfolio, with the exact amount, if any, depending on your situ-ation — your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial situation and other factors. You may also want add an international flavor to your portfolio by investing in quality U.S. compa-

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nies that do a considerable amount of business abroad. In any case, given the more complex nature of international investing, you’ll want to consult with a financial professional before writing a check.

Still, consider the international investment world. With a little exploring, you may discover some good possibilities out there.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advi-sor.

...continued on next column

Explore the World of Interna-tional Investments continued...

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1. When Philadelphia's Roy Halladay won hissecondCyYoungAwardin2010,hetied the mark for the longest gap between Cy Young Awards (seven years). Who else did it?2.From1986through2006,theSanFran-cisco Giants had three managers. Name two of them.3.In2010,RyanMallettbroketheUniver-sity of Arkansas record for most career TD passes. Who had held the mark?4.Howmanytimesduringhis31seasonsdid the NBA's winningest coach, Don Nel-son, lead a team to the playoffs?5.WhowerethelasttworemainingactiveNHLplayerstohaveplayedinthe1980s?6. How many times did the Japanese women's soccer team fail to beat the U.S. before defeating the American team in the 2011WorldCupfinal?7.Inthefinalraceofhiscareerin1920,Mano'Wardefeatedthe1919TripleCrown winner in a match race. Name the losing horse.

Answers1.Atlanta'sTomGlavine--1991and1998.2. Roger Craig, Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou. 3.ClintStoerner,with57(1996-99).Mallettfinishedwith62.4.Eighteentimes.5.MikeModanoandMarkRecchi,bothofwhomretiredbeforethe2011-12season.6.Twenty-fivetimes.7. Sir Barton.

(c)2012KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

Page 6 Tidbits® of South Denver Metro Issue#495

¥Itwas19th-centuryGermanphiloso-pher, composer and poet Friedrich Ni-etzsche who made the following sage observation:“Attimesoneremainsfaith-ful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.”¥ Despite all the cartoons you’ve seen throughout your life, rabbits generally prefer greens to carrots, and mice would rather eat grains and fruit than cheese.¥ The area that is now the state of Cali-forniahadapopulationofabout700in1854.In2010,thepopulationhadin-creasedto37,253,956.Inthespanofjustover one and a half centuries, the popula-tionincreasedawhopping53,000times.¥ Rice paper is not made from rice. It’s made from the pith of the rice paper plant. ¥ You may be surprised to learn that, ac-cording to the National Sleep Foundation, 33 percent of all preschoolers have a TV intheirroom,and20percentofinfantsand toddlers have one. ¥ If you ever make a trip to Italy (lucky you!) and visit the town of Modena, be sure to go to the bell tower. There you might see an item that is, to the best ofmyknowledge,uniqueintheworld:a wooden bucket that started a war. In 1325agroupofsoldiersfromthethen-city-state of Modena raided rival city-state Bologna and returned home with the bucket. Greatly desiring to get the bucket back, Bologna declared war. The war raged on for years, but Bologna never did get its bucket back.¥ If you’re a schoolteacher in Arkansas, you should be aware of an arcane law there:Ifyoubobyourhair,you’llbeineli-gible for a pay raise.***ThoughtfortheDay:“Acommitteeisacul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.” -- Sir Barnett Cocks

(c)2012KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

By Samantha Weaver

TM

Be a Responsible Pet OwnerFebruary is Responsible Pet Owners Month, and while I sometimes grouse about events thatdesignateaspecificperiodoftheyeartodosomethingthatshouldobviouslybedone every single day, I think it’s a worthy way to enlighten new pet owners or those thinking about getting a pet on how to care for that pet. So, how can you be a respon-siblepetowner?Ifyou’reconsideringgettingapet:--Study and learn all you can about the pet or breed you’re interested in.--Consider adopting from a shelter or rescue.--Avoidbuyingdogsfrompuppymills,atfleamarketsorothersketchyplaces.--If buying from a breeder, research and consider carefully before making a purchase.Ifyoualreadyhaveapet:--Spay or neuter your pet.--Domorethanjustprovidefood,waterandshelter:Giveyourpetlotsofloveandatten-tion.--Teach your children how to properly care for pets and how to play responsibly with them.--Provide regular, daily obedience training to your dog.--Keep your cat indoors.--When taking your dog out for a walk, follow your town’s leash laws and pick up after it.--At dog parks, follow the posted rules. Owners who don’t follow rules can put the park at risk of being shut down. Don’t be that guy.There are, of course, many other ways to be a responsible pet owner. But this is a good time to review the way you care for your pets, the routines you’ve fallen into, the training you’ve meant to start -- and to plan new fun and activities for your pets and family.

Send your questions or tips to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King FeaturesWeeklyService,P.O.Box536475,Orlando,FL32853-6475.Formorepetcare-related advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com.

(c)2012KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

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As the family gathered for a big dinner together, the youngest son announced thathehadjustsignedupatanarmyrecruiter’soffice.Therewereaudiblegasps around the table, then some laughter, as his older brothers shared their disbelief that he could handle this new situation. “Oh, come on, quit joking,” snickered one. “You didn’t really do that, did you?” “You would never get through basic training,” scoffed another. The new recruit looked to his mother for help, butshewasjustgazingathim.Whenshefinallyspoke,shesimplyasked,“Doyou really plan to make your own bed every morning?”

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