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Bridge by Steve Becker

1. You are sure to make the slam if the opposing clubs are divided 3-2, so all of your thoughts should be centered on how to overcome a 4-1 or 5-0 club division. By far the best approach, after winning the spade lead with the ace, is to play as many trumps as necessary until the opponents have exactly one trump remaining. You deliberately do not draw this last trump, but instead next play the ace of hearts and A-K of clubs. If both opponents follow to both clubs, you draw the missing trump and concede a club trick. If the clubs divide 4-1 or 5-0, and the ace or king of clubs gets ...

When your new internet romance turns into fraud — or worse

The FBI publishes an annual report of internet crimes with an emphasis on scams targeting older adults. In the most recent report, romance scams continue to show continuous growth over the past few years, with seniors over 65-years old reporting losses of more than $131 million. That is a ...

Dear Annie: Marriage ledger: Should she move for new job?

DEAR ANNIE: I am middle-aged and lost my job during the pandemic when the company I had been with for years eliminated my position. Despite my experience and education, I have not been able to find anything permanent or full-time since. I feel like I am too old to be hired and too young to retire. My husband and I live in an economically repressed region with a limited job market, and he refuses to leave his job and relocate, despite offers and interest from other companies in more lucrative areas and my pleas over the years to leave this one-horse town. He is also not interested in ...

Hints from Heloise: Clean showers with ease

DEAR HELOISE: The easiest way to clean a shower is with a squeegee. They come in different widths, and it only takes a minute to run the squeegee over the door when you’re finished showering. I also use them to wash windows, which makes this task a snap. — Mara T., in Alexandria, Louisiana DEAR HELOISE: Here are some things that I’ve learned from taking care of my disabled spouse: — Attach tennis balls to the feet of walkers for easy gliding. — If someone has vision problems, attach a small piece of contrasting tape to the top of one of their shoes and tell them which ...

To Your Good Health: Dementia worsens after case of delirium

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 83-year-old sister underwent the simple procedure of replacing her pacemaker battery. She’s also been diagnosed with early signs of dementia. They gave her propofol, and when she woke up, she had extreme vertigo. Since it was an outpatient facility, they dumped her in the emergency room. She spent four days in the ER because there weren’t any beds in the hospital. On the second day, she developed a bad case of delirium. After four days, she had to be transferred to a nursing home, where she spent 17 days trying to recover. She still isn’t 100% as this delirium ...