Putting the Sparkle Into the New Year

Be careful opening that bubbly. That cork can leave the bottle at fifty miles-per-hour. Don’t start your new year by seeing – or not seeing – an ophthalmologist. A flying cork can cause eye wall rupture, glaucoma, retinal detachment, eye bleeding, dislocation of the lens and damage to the eye’s bone structure. To properly open sparkling wine, hold the cork with one hand and twist the bottle with the other. Not as exciting as a broken chandelier, but much less wine is spilled.

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Christ the Redeemer Needs Your Help

The economy in Brazil for many years was the shining beacon of the Americas. For a time it was the envy of some in the U.S. Now an ongoing recession is forcing the Catholic Church to ask for help with refurbishing the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro.

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Holiday Dinner Reviews

Did you enjoy your various Solstice-holiday meals? Gathering with relatives and friends and neighbors for good cheer and good food. Avoiding too much political discussions, we hope. We’ve compiled on-line reviews of Poppa and Gram’s family Christmas feast. How did your holiday repast compare?

Poppa and Gram’s Christmas Dinner  ★★★☆☆ (10 ratings)


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“It winds from Chicago to L.A.”

John Steinbeck called Route 66 “The Mother Road” in his book The Grapes of Wrath. The highway has come to symbolize the movement west by people looking for new beginnings. Bobby Troup composed his classic “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” while driving to Los Angeles in search of fame and fortune. A few years ago, I made the pilgrimage.

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The Golden Duke Awards

In the 1986 movie “Top Gun,” Tom Cruise played the part of an ace fighter pilot. Cruise’s character was based on Randy “Duke” Cunningham, a genuine ace, highly decorated for his exploits in the Vietnam War. Following the war, he was an instructor in the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as TOPGUN. Cunningham parlayed his twenty-year Navy career into election to the U.S. House, representing California’s 50th Congressional District in San Diego County.

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How To Spend Your Christmas Money

Maybe you were lucky enough to receive as Christmas presents, envelopes containing cash. Instead of doing something foolish like saving or investing it, or replacing the worn-out brakes on your car, consider the opportunity offered by the Opening Day Foundation: a chance to “celebrate the great American tradition of outdoor sporting, shooting, fishing and conservation.” What is the Opening Day Foundation, you ask?

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