| Issue 19.12 Every male human remembers when it happens or looks forward to the experience that caused him to realize that he was no longer a boy but was in fact a man. There are many different types of happenings that could trigger that feeling. To some it is a graduation,a physical accomplishment,maintaining a separate apartment,the feeling for a certain girl,marriage,sexual maturity,becoming a father or uncountable different ways. Let me tell you how and when this happened to me. During World War II,I was a lower ball turret gunner on Lt. Parnell’s B-17 bomber crew. We were part of the 351st.Bomb Group,Eighth Air Force,that was based in England and it was our job to reduce Hitler’s industry to rubble. The fact that at the time I weighed 112pounds probably had something to do with my assignment to climb down into that plastic sardine can that hung beneath the Flying Fortress. We had flown missions to Hamburg,Munich,Frankfurt,Cologne,Essen and other targets in “Happy Valley”. Old “Queenie”suffered battle damage on most of those missions,but that tough “Bi Gas Bird”always brought us past the White Cliffs of Dover and home. The ground crews started toiling as soon as the bombers came to rest until time to start engines for the next mission. They changed engines,loaded bombs,gas,oxygen and machine gun ammunition and patched her holes. Sometimes the patches had patches. All of this work was done while the air crews slept. At 2 AM the ground pounders woke ours and thirty five other crews to tell us it was time to get out of the warm sacks and get ready to fly another mission. We shaved (to insure that the oxygen mask would seal),and went to the mess hall for a “Combat Breakfast”which consisted of bacon,hot cakes,otherwise unheard of fresh eggs and coffee. It was a good idea to eat hardy because our next meal would probably be 10PM or later but I had long since given up trying to eat anything more than a cup of coffee for breakfast because my stomach couldn’t take the anxiety and without fail,when I ate breakfast,I would lose it all before “take off”time. All the crews filed into the briefing building where we would find if we would go on a milk run like Cologne which had a mere fifteen hundred flack cannon or a tough target like Hamburg that had twenty-five hundred flack guns of 88 mm or larger. The briefing officer stepped up onto the raised platform where the big map that was hidden by a black curtain stood. As he pulled the curtain open,he said “This is the one that separates the men from the boys”. The red string went east across the North Sea,crossed the coast of Holland and on a zig zag course to “Big B”. He told us that we could expect the Luftwaffe to meet us in force and that there were more flack guns,thirty five hundred,guarding Berlin than any other target in Germany. After all the work was completed such as installing and checking the machine guns and bombs and pulling the props through,we were able to relax for a few minutes in the ground crew’s tent. While waiting for the start engines signal flares from the control tower,the base chaplain entered the tent and offered to say a prayer on our behalf which he did. We saw the first flare then the taxi signal flare then take off flare. All thirty six planes took off at 30 second intervals into the pre dawn darkness to form up without lights into defensive “box”formations. The 351st. was only one of twenty five groups that made up the fifty mile long bomber train. Long after passing the coast we could see a group of “Bandits”emerge from the clouds out at 2 o’clock and engage our “Little Friends”,the P-51′s in a fierce Dog Fight. More “Little Friends”came from up and down the bomber train to engage as more and more groups of FW 190′s and ME 109′s also took part in that dog fight. Soon the heavy persistent contrails made the sky look like a huge bowl of spaghetti. The dog fight swirled around and through our group of bombers. We watched many fighters from both sides go down smoking,burning and exploding,but we saw no opened parachutes. The flyers of both sides had orders to not permit an enemy in his chute to reach the ground alive so flyers of both sides fell to a lower altitude before pulling the rip cord. At the time we estimated that there were about 1,000 fighters from both sides taking part in that huge dog fight. We had no way of knowing for sure but in our bull sessions later,we thought we had seen the largest single dog fight of the war. This enemy tactic had a purpose. This was a diversion and the main enemy force got into the bomber train some groups back and went through groups in force from 12 o’clock. . They struck a couple of groups in what they called “Storm Gruppen”. This tactic was very effective and if it had been used earlier in the war,it could have prevented daylight bombing from being successful,yet I have never seen it even mentioned in the many documentaries about the air war over Europe except one book by a German fighter pilot. We still had the bomb run ahead of us knowing that once we hit the I. P. there could be no evasive action. We knew that a group of thirty six bombers is not going to get through those 3,500 flack guns without losing some and we did have loses. That intense flack exploding around us tossed us and sounded like someone beating the fuselage of “Queenie”with a chain. The flack was so intense that our bombardier couldn’t take it any longer and he held the push to talk button down while screaming as loud as he could. It was very un-nerving for the rest of the crew. Lt. Parnell snapped a walk-around bottle on,went to the nose compartment and hit the bombardier hard enough to bring him to his senses. Old “Queenie”brought us back once again but not without damage to her. A mission to Berlin did separate the men from the boys. I completed my required missions and returned to the U.S. while the war in Europe was still raging and before I turned twenty so I guess I was a teen-ager. Issue 20.12 GENERAL Question: Do Members of Congress have to pay into Social Security? Answer: Yes,they do. Members of Congress,the President and Vice President,federal judges,and most political appointees,have paid taxes into the Social Security program since January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else,no matter how long they have been in office. Learn more about Social Security benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov. RETIREMENT Question: How long does it take to complete the online application for Social Security retirement benefits? Answer: It can take as little as 15 minutes to complete the online application. In most cases,once your application is submitted electronically,you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation to mail in. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any further information is needed. There’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative. To retire online,go to www.socialsecurity.gov. Question: I have never worked,but my spouse has. What will my Social Security benefit be? Answer: You can be entitled to as much as one-half of your spouse’s benefit amount if you start your benefits when you reach full retirement age. If you want to get Social Security retirement benefits before you reach full retirement age,the amount of your benefit will be reduced. The amount of reduction depends on when you will reach full retirement age. For example,if your full retirement age is 66,you can get 35 percent of your spouse’s unreduced benefit at age 62. The amount of your benefit increases at later ages up to the maximum of 50 percent if you retire at full retirement age. However,if you are taking care of a child who is under age 16 or who gets Social Security disability benefits,you get full benefits,regardless of your age. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/yourspouse.htm. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME Question: My mother receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. She may have to enter a nursing home later this year. How does this affect her SSI benefits? Answer: Moving to a nursing home can affect your mother’s SSI benefits,but it depends on the type of facility. In some cases,the SSI payment may be reduced or stopped. Whenever your mother enters or leaves a nursing home,assisted living facility,hospital,skilled nursing facility,or any other kind of institution,it is important that you tell Social Security. Call Social Security’s toll-free number,1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,Monday through Friday. We also provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. Question: What are the limits on what I can own to be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)? Answer: Social Security counts real estate,bank accounts,cash,stocks,and bonds toward the limits on what you can own. You may be able to get SSI if your resources are worth no more than $2,000. A couple may be able to get SSI if they have resources worth no more than $3,000. If you own property you are trying to sell,you may be able to get SSI while trying to sell it. Social Security does not count everything you own in deciding whether you have too many resources to qualify for SSI. For example,we generally do not count:the home you live in and the land it is on;life insurance policies with a face value of $1,500 or less;your car;burial plots for you and immediate family;and up to $1,500 in burial funds for you and up to $1,500 in burial funds for your spouse. Learn more about SSI at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi. DISABILITY Question: I currently receive Social Security disability benefits. I now have a second serious disability. Can my monthly benefit amount be increased? Answer: No. Although your Social Security disability benefit eligibility is based on having a severe disability,the benefit amount is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began and not the number,degree,or severity of your disability. For more information,go to www.socialsecurity.gov/dibplan/dapproval2.htm. Question: Is there a time limit on how long I can collect Social Security disability benefits? Answer: Your disability benefits will continue as long as your medical condition has not improved and you remain unable to work. Your case will be reviewed at regular intervals to make sure you still are disabled. If you still are receiving disability benefits when you reach full retirement age,we will automatically convert them to retirement benefits. See www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10153.html#6 for more information on disability. MEDICARE Question: My mom is interested in getting help with her Medicare Part D prescription costs,but she has about $10,000 in the bank. Would she still be eligible? Answer: Based solely on the bank account balance you mention,yes. However,there are other factors to consider as well,including your mom’s income. If your mother has other resources,they may be included too. This year a person’s total resources are,in most cases,limited to $13,070 (or $26,120 if married and living with spouse) to qualify for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. The resource limits shown on the application include a $1,500 per person exclusion for burial purposes. Resources include the value of the things you own,such as real estate (other than the place you live),cash,bank accounts,stocks,bonds,and retirement accounts like IRAs or 401ks. There are exceptions. Read more about how to qualify and apply for the Extra Help at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/index.htm PART 3 Opinions will be different than conclusions. A conclusion in Family Tree is a declaration of the most accurate value at the time. The expectation is that this conclusion can be verified through sources by the next person. If we have a well-sourced ancestor there is no reason for anyone in the future to ever have to research this ancestor again. This is where it reduces the duplication of research. If I add all of the sources to my deceased uncle’s record,and link to the death certificate online,the census record of 1930 where he appeared,the obituary,his birth record,and his headstone,then people will be able to view it but they will not have to do all of that research again and can move on to another ancestor. Family Tree will also have attached sources that are tagged to a conclusion type,like the death date would be tagged with the death certificate. It could also be used for the birth,but because the birth date on a death certificate is only as accurate as the informant,a birth certificate would override the information on a death certificate when you are tagging it to a birth record,if the information differs. It is important to have all sources regarding birth,for example,and then describe how the supporting and conflicting sources are resolved to the given conclusion. Family Tree will introduce reasons on conclusions. This is a place where users can describe why the conclusion they are making is the best conclusion at the time. They can talk about the sources and identify how they came to the conclusion. In new FamilySearch,records were combined. That is what caused a problem when there were too many to combine or people were combined incorrectly. You could separate them,but often they were again combined incorrectly soon after. Family Tree is different in that it will allow you to merge a duplicate into the original,identifying the best conclusions that should remain. The duplicate is then removed to a deleted change log for potential recovery. There will be no more combined records or IOUS ancestors in Family Tree. To undo an incorrect merge the user goes to the change log of the merged ancestor and clicks undo on the merge change log entry. Then the duplicate will be recovered and the original restored if that is appropriate. Family Tree’s merging activity will be more comprehensive and should discourage the quick combining of records that has been happening in new FamilySearch. For more information,contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com or (435) 628-4900. Issue 20.12 There are lots of types of computers out there these days. The all-in-one computers that include the computer and the screen in one box are becoming more popular. We will go more in-depth about them in another article. The new tablet,touch screen computers are to a great extent replacing the small net-book mini laptops,but regular laptops are more popular and less expensive than they have ever been. In the desktop category,there are three basic configurations;Desktops,Mini-Towers and Slim-lines. Desktops usually lie flat on the desk surface and often people place the monitor screen on top of the computer. This configuration is not as common as it used to be,but you can still find them if you look. Mini-towers are the most common. They are usually about eight inches wide and 20 to 30 inches tall. They are wide enough to support CD/DVD/BluRay players and usually have ports in the front for USB,camera cards,sound cables and other peripherals. The newer slim-line computers usually stand on end like a mini-tower,but can be laid down like a desktop. When they are standing the CD/DVD player is usually mounted vertically which can make loading your disks a little bit challenging,but it works once you get the hang of it. They are usually only about 5 inches wide and often only 18-24 inches tall which saves desk space. There are a few drawbacks that you need to know about if you are considering one of these. The first is that they use a special type of power supply that is smaller and somewhat under-powered in order to fit in the case. This leads to a higher than normal failure rate and they are usually over $100 to replace if they are out of warranty. Compare that to an average of $50 to replace a standard power supply in a mini-tower. These computers also have custom peripheral cards such as video or network cards that are only half as long as the normal cards and they have less slots to plug into,both of which limits your options if you want to add specific capabilities to your computer after you buy it. Finally,they are harder and take longer to work on if they need service which usually raises the cost of getting them fixed. I don’t want to scare you away from them because they are often less expensive to start with and perfectly serviceable if your computer needs are fairly basic and you purchase a longer on-site service agreement. Usually 3 or 4 years will cover most problems. As long as you know what you are getting into,these can be a good choice. Whatever you decide,do your homework first and always remember to back up anything important to you. Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 30 years,20 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation,service,training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com. Issue 20.12 Time is a great teacher and negative experiences or difficult people that come into your life can be a blessing IF you learn from each encounter. Try to act don’t react and don’t take things personally. Consider that maybe others who are negative towards you are needing some compassion and understanding. It may not be you personally they are upset with,but other circumstances or problems they are facing as an individual. That could explain why they are acting inappropriately. When dealing with teenagers or depressed individuals take time to consider your reaction before speaking can be time well spend,rather than immediately becoming defensive. When you require all other individuals that you interact with whether family or friends to meet unrealistic expectations like being perfect and happy all the time,you are asking for trouble and disappointment. Life is full of challenges and opportunities to grow and progress. This topic could also be called how to become an observer of others and of yourself. It’s a normal physical response to react when you feel attacked whether the stimulus is a physical threat or emotional abuse from others. Despite all your good intentions to act instead of react,there’s an automatic gut response you must learn to control. When a relationship becomes difficult,try to become an unbiased observer to see if you can tell what is happening within you and with the other individual. If you are at fault,change your behavior. If not,send value to the other person and listen. Say you are in a troubling relationship of some kind. Can you change yourself or the other person? The bad news is it’s almost impossible to change others,but if you modify how you react to others misbehavior,the other person has to act differently. If you don’t play the role of defensive victim anymore,but stand your ground,the other person involved is thrown off balance and will have to find a new strategy. It’s sometimes called “the dance of anger. ” If you don’t do your part,the other person will have to react differently. It’s also called co-dependency. Instead of being an enabler,if you stand up for yourself courageously,send value to the other person involved,situations can change for the better. If it’s a physical abusive relationship,you may need intervention from others to strengthen you or create protective barriers. NEXT TIME:Crazymakers There’s an opportunity to buy any or all of Lin’s books:Looking Back at the Good Old Days,Find Your Voice:Write Your Life Story or Family Home Evenings for Empty Nesters and Singles on Sat,May 19th at Tuacahn’s Saturday Market in Ivins from 9 am-1 pm next to the concessions on the upper level.  Issue 19.12 The death of a loved one is overwhelming and the ability to make informed decisions during such a difficult time is critical. The Cremation Center of Southern Utah is designed exclusively for those choosing cremation. Our goal is to educate families on the cremation process and to provide a comfortable environment to encourage the celebration of a life well lived. We are licensed by the State of Utah as a full service funeral home specializing in cremation. You do not contract with a separate funeral home to obtain our services. We work directly with you to meet all of your funeral and cremation needs. We do not own a multi-million dollar building;therefore,we are able to pass along a considerable savings to you. Our experienced staff consists of licensed funeral directors and a licensed apprentice. We honor all Utah codes and regulations. The entire cremation process takes place in one location. Your loved one is always under our professional care. Before a person can be cremated,there are three legal forms that must be completed and appropriately filed: a cremation authorization,a death certificate,and a cremation permit. The cremation authorization must be properly and legally executed by the appropriate next of kin,or an individual may authorize their own cremation in advance. A death certificate must be signed by both a medical doctor and a licensed funeral director before being filed with the State of Utah. A cremation permit must also be obtained from the state medical examiner in order to legally carry out the cremation. We take care of these details for you. We are cremation experts and will assist you and your family throughout the entire process. We offer a unique open door policy and invite you to personally tour and inspect our beautiful facility. We welcome your questions,concerns,and interest in every aspect of the cremation process. To schedule your personal tour or to obtain a copy of a free cremation planning guide,please contact us today by visiting our office at 1316 S. 400 E.,Ste. A5,St. George,or call (435) 986-9100. PART 2Issue 19.12 One of the goals of Family Tree is to be the most complete and accurate genealogical database. To do this FamilySearch has elevated sources to be first class elements and updated them to not only be citations but references to websites and soon actual uploaded images. Family Tree does not want a collection of all opinions,they want us to come together and find the valid conclusions. When a user makes or changes a conclusion they are asked to provide a reason why the conclusion they are providing is the most correct conclusion at this time. The user is recorded as the contributor of that conclusion and changes are placed in the change log for recovery. This works much the same way as any discussion can. On Facebook recently my cousins and I were discussing our mutual family on the 1940 US Census. One child who drowned as a child was noted as missing so the conversation soon turned to when he died. Then one cousin added the obituary notice. I was reading it and the date of death didn’t line up with what I had. So we discussed the date being on a Sunday. Many of us had heard that the drowning occurred on a Sunday when he was told not to go swimming but went anyway. Then I was able to locate the death certificate which did prove the date that I had would have been a Sunday and that the obituary had the incorrect date. This is the sort of collaboration that needs to go into this new Family Tree application to get everything correct. Family Tree will originate from the data in new FamilySearch,however,since many concepts are different between the systems the data must be copied and changed to fit into the new program. There will be some synchronization between them as people use both systems during the transition. But there will be some data in Family Tree that new FamilySearch does not understand. Continued next week …. For more information,contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com or (435) 628-4900  Issue 19.12 Our Doctors of Audiology at Hearing and Balance Doctors of Utah are reaching out to help those who struggle with tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears). “One of the most successful tinnitus treatment options,utilized in our clinics and throughout the county,has been the Alera device,” reports Dr. Richard Luekenga,Au.D. We are currently seeking qualified candidates to test-drive this revolutionary technology. This effective hearing advancement is specifically engineered to help reduce the annoyance of tinnitus and improve speech understanding in noise. Alera has been classified by the FDA for tinnitus therapy and is clinically proven to help people hear naturally and comfortably. Individuals will have the opportunity to evaluate Alera for one week,plus complete a short questionnaire. At the conclusion,participants may purchase Alera at special factory discounting. Individuals with both hearing loss and/or tinnitus are welcome. You should participate if: 1 You experience constant or sporadic sounds in the ear (i.e. ringing or buzzing) 2 Your family and friends complain you cannot hear them 3 You find it difficult to understand speech 4 Your tinnitus often impacts your quality of life Test Trial dates begin today and will continue through May 31. If you are interested,call 435-688-8991 today,or visit us at Hearing and Balance Doctors of Utah:1054 E. Riverside Drive,Ste. 201 in St. George. Your health insurance may cover a portion of the cost for this device. Call now for verification!  Issue 19.12 You’ve worked hard and have managed to put aside some money. Perhaps you want to leave a legacy to your children,grandchildren,or a favorite charity. Or,maybe you just like knowing it’s there in case you ever need it. Either way,you want your money to be secure and accessible. Traditions Universal Life insurance is simple to obtain,and provides you immediate value,tax advantages and access to your money should you need it. Plus,with a Traditions Universal Life policy,your loved ones can receive proceeds on an income tax-free basis – something annuities and CDs can’t provide. With a single premium payment,you can have guaranteed1 lifetime protection that requires no medical exam,2 plus peace of mind knowing your legacy will be passed on to your loved ones without additional costs or delays. In fact,your lump-sum payment is guaranteed to provide a higher death benefit value than the premium paid,immediately. How do you know if Traditions Universal Life is right for you? Do you have money set aside,maybe in CDs or savings,that you hope to pass on to loved ones? Would you like to increase the amount of money you plan to leave to your loved ones with a single payment? Do you want your loved ones to receive an inheritance without additional costs or delays? Do you have assets you don’t currently need for income,but want access to should the need arise? Your Farm Bureau agent has the knowledge and experience to make insurance simple for you. Contact your agent for help with your goals – today and in the future. 1The guarantees expressed in this brochure are based on the claims-paying ability of Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company. 2No medical exam is required;however your prescription profile,motor vehicle report and MIB will be requested and reviewed by the Company prior to underwriting your policy. Not all products are available in all states. During the first 10 years,full surrenders are subject to a surrender charge. Surrender charges may be waived if eligibility can be established. Partial withdrawals will reduce the specified amount. CDs are FDIC insured. The product referenced here is not federally insured. Tips brought to you by Farm Bureau Financial Services. For more information about products and services,call Lori Prince at PHONE NUMBER. *Note- None of the above copy should be changed except for your personal information [AZ,IA,KS,MN,NE RR,NM,SD,UT- include this disclosure] Securities &services offered through FBL Marketing Services,LLC+,5400 University Ave.,West Des Moines,IA 50266,877/860-2904,Member SIPC. Farm Bureau Property &Casualty Insurance Company+*,Western Agricultural Insurance Company+*,Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company+*/West Des Moines,IA. +Affiliates *Company providers of Farm Bureau Financial Services. Issue 19.12 It’s impossible to avoid conflict even if you are a relaxed laid back type of individual. Disagreements,opposition and misunderstandings are part of what makes for the human condition,because none of us are perfect. The important thing is to take care of negative self-talk that can create conflict within you. Be at peace with yourself,despite other’s misbehavior. Peace comes by understanding your own values,goals and purpose in life. One of my important goals is to have a happy loving unified family and that does happen occasionally,but wanting it 24/7 isn’t humanly possible. So,I have to listen to the strident voices inside my head that say…well,you could keep everyone happy if…or it’s all your fault if this person is upset with this other family member. After analyzing and writing in my personal journal about this kind of situation many times,I have come to realize that I am the only person I can control. I can try to be a good example to my grown children and young grandchildren,but I can’t force others to behave how I expect or want them to. Understanding that you don’t have to make everything all better for everyone can help alleviate stress on your part. Sometimes as parents and especially as women,we want to rescue everyone else from their problems at our own expense. Not valuing yourself can lead to physical-emotional draining and depression. So how do you take care of yourself? If you don’t keep your own well filled there is no way you can help others or react appropriately to conflict. There is an inner balance to maintain-not becoming self-centered,but having self esteem or worth enough to protect yourself in all situations,to act and not react. Sometimes it seems the only way to develop a positive feeling about yourself is by not doing it enough years that you realize a change has to take place. How do you view and treat yourself? Maybe it’s time to stop taking personally every negative comment or conflict that others might throw your way or that your inner voices or the media insinuate is your problem. Try focusing on compliments that come your way and even give yourself some positive statements or affirmations to strengthen your self-esteem. i.e. You can do it. That was a good job. You’ve certainly got talent,etc. NEXT TIME:Not Taking Things Personally There’s an opportunity to buy any or all of Lin’s books:Looking Back at the Good Old Days,Find Your Voice:Write Your Life Story or Family Home Evenings for Empty Nesters and Singles on Sat,May 19th at Tuacahn’s Saturday Market in Ivins from 9 am-1 pm next to the concessions on the upper level. | |
