Guest Contributor, Author at GREENVILLE JOURNAL

News of the Weird: Unclear on the concept

Guest Contributor — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:00:59 +0000

Sam, 22, is an assistant manager at a frozen yogurt shop in Florida, Newsweek reported on Dec. 26, but even at his young age, he is able to recognize cash that might be counterfeit. Unlike his employees, that is, who flagged a $10 bill and a $5 bill as FAKE. “I shed a tear because of the sharpie they scrawled onto the bills,” he wrote on Reddit. Sam said he had to explain that the bills were “just old, not counterfeit.” He admitted that people his age and younger might rarely use cash: “It’s a digital world nowadays, so I would suspect that to be one reason (they flagged the bills).”

Questionable judgment

On Dec. 17, California Highway Patrol officers in Madera County shared a photo on Facebook of a Honda Ridgeline truck they had pulled over, Carscoops reported. With an unintentional nod to “The Grapes of Wrath,” the truck was piled to at least twice its height with random items, some of which were flying off into traffic, officers said. “It is important to always secure your load/cargo and not exceed your vehicle’s load capacity,” CHP cautioned. “Flying debris can make motorists take evasive action and potentially be involved in a traffic crash.”

Saw that coming

The Rockwall County Herald-Banner in Texas reported that Valencia Smith, mother of a former football player for Rockwall-Heath High School, filed a suit on Dec. 23 against the team’s former coach, John Harrell, and 12 other coaches. Smith’s suit stems from an incident in January 2023, in which the coaches allegedly used excessive exercise as punishment for wearing the wrong uniform or failing to show enough “hustle.” Students were forced to perform more than 400 pushups within an hour, which led to at least 26 players being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition that causes muscle to break down and enter the bloodstream. Smith said her son spent seven days in a hospital. The lawsuit seeks compensation for his medical expenses. Harrell resigned in March 2023; he settled two other lawsuits, but this is the first that names the assistant coaches as defendants.

Bright idea

Canadian business student Javeria Wasim, 19, was with a friend in Toronto when she hatched the brilliant idea to try to bite into a 3-inch jawbreaker, the Daily Mail reported on Dec. 24. Immediately, Wasim’s jaw began to hurt, and a tooth became loose. X-rays revealed that she had suffered two fractures in her jaw. The following day, she underwent surgery and had her jaw wired shut for six weeks. She said she would “probably never try a jawbreaker again. It hurt really bad, I was crying a lot when the ambulance came,” she said. “All my bottom teeth are messed up. I lost seven pounds in two weeks. It was a dumb idea.”

The foreign press

Belarusian retailer ZNWR, sometimes called the “Balenciaga of Belarus,” is making headlines with its newest line of dresses and jackets, starting at about $116, fashioned from bubble wrap. The Times of India reported on Dec. 30 that the air-filled pockets provide a satisfying, quirky popping experience. The brand hyped the dresses as perfect for those who want to stand out on New Year’s Eve (rather than wear the tired old velvet and satin). At least when you fall down drunk, you’ll be cushioned!

Least competent criminal

In Haines City, Florida, on Dec. 29, Jervin Omar Mendieto Romero, 40, arrived at the home of his former partner, ClickOrlando reported. Romero wanted to speak with her, but when no one answered the door, he crawled into the house through a window, police said. “Once inside,” police said, Romero “confronted … his ex-domestic partner and her new boyfriend.” The boyfriend was shot five times; in the process, Romero managed to shoot off his own ring finger. “This caused (him) to drop the firearm and flee the residence on foot,” police reported. They tracked him down less than a mile away, and he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery, along with other offenses. The boyfriend is expected to survive.

Inappropriate behavior

Jude Hill of Plymouth, England, traveled to Thailand a few months ago after a fire at her home in September, Metro News reported. Around 3 a.m. on Christmas, Hill and her boyfriend were seen in the lobby of the Flipper Lodge Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand, consummating their relationship on a sofa. Witnesses said the pair then tried to move to a glass table, but it shattered. “We approached them and discovered they were not hotel customers, so we ushered them out,” an anonymous worker said. Hill ran away but was detained by an armed officer near the beach. The hotel plans to press charges.

That rule doesn’t apply to me

Magnus Carlsen, 34, the No. 1 chess player in the world, dropped out of the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York on Dec. 27 because he didn’t want to change out of his blue jeans, Sky News reported. Officials said he had broken the dress code; Carlsen wasn’t moved. “I didn’t even think about it. … They said I could (change) after the third round today. I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK’ … but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a matter of principle for me.” Carlsen said he’d head somewhere with better weather.

Reunited

A Florida family got just what they wanted for Christmas when they answered a 2:30 a.m. doorbell ring on Christmas Eve to find their missing dog. Brooke Comer, a Green Cove Springs resident whose 4-year-old German shepherd, Athena, went missing on Dec. 15, spent the ensuing nine days receiving tips from neighbors and people in nearby towns about Athena sightings, but the frustrated family would always arrive too late, NEWS10 ABC reported. After several heartbreaking near-misses and with Christmas just one day away, Comer received an early morning notification from her Ring doorbell. “I was kind of like in a daze, and the dog was barking, and as soon as I heard that ring, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell,” Comer said. Athena seemed no worse for the wear after her journey, but will receive a full exam (and a microchip) soon.

Lost at sea

A shark caught in the net of a fisherman is nothing new, but when it’s the first Lego shark find since a cargo ship lost its load of nearly 5 million pieces at sea 27 years ago, the news makes waves. The BBC reported on Dec. 28 that hundreds of pieces from the Tokyo Express cargo ship have been recovered this year; the ship was hit by an unexpected wave on Feb. 13, 1997, and lost 62 shipping containers some 20 miles off Land’s End, England. Since then, the BBC reports that the pieces have been washing ashore in southwest England, the Channel Islands, Wales, Ireland and even the Netherlands and Norway, but the shark find in August by fisherman Richard West, 35, of Plymouth, England, was the first of the 22,200 dark gray and 29,600 light gray Lego sharks lost in the incident. “The sharks sink, which explains why so few have been found,” said Tracey Williams of the Lego Lost at Sea project. “There are probably some 50,000-plus still lying on the seabed, some making their way ashore, others heading into deeper waters.”

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post News of the Weird: Unclear on the concept appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Motley Fool: Dropped 84% in a single day

Guest Contributor — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:00:14 +0000

Ask the Fool: Dropped 84% in a single day

Q: I saw that a biotechnology stock, Cassava Sciences, plunged 84% in a single day. How can that happen? — G.L., Muskegon, Michigan

A: That’s a reminder that even a stock you might have researched and believe in can end up disappointing you.

Cassava’s shares cratered in late November, when news broke that an experimental drug had failed to produce significant improvement for Alzheimer’s patients in late-stage clinical testing. (Drugs in development typically go through several rounds of clinical testing before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers approving them.)

That would be bad news for any biotech company, but many biotechs have multiple drugs in development, and some already have FDA-approved treatments on the market. Yet Cassava was developing this one drug only, and it wasn’t yet approved, so investors were banking on trials going well. Additionally, the company has faced allegations of fraud, and its CEO resigned in July. There’s a lot investors could have been wary of.

Promising news can also make stocks like Cassava skyrocket quickly. But companies that already have growing revenue and profits are less likely to lose so much of their value when things go wrong.

Q: How is a “bear market” determined? — C.D., La Crosse, Wisconsin

A: When the stock market’s overall value drops by 10% from a recent high, that’s considered a “correction.” If it drops by 20% or more, it’s considered a “crash,” triggering a “bear market.”

A bear market can last days, weeks or even years. Long-term stock investors should expect them and not get freaked out when one happens — in fact, they’re perfect times to go shopping for great stocks on sale. The stock market has always recovered from corrections and crashes.

Fool’s School: You’re not too old

Many people believe that as they approach and enter retirement, they should be shedding most or all of their stocks. They assume that since the stock market can be volatile, they should stick with “safer” investments, such as bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs) or savings accounts.

The truth, though, is that even bonds can lose value, and that while the stock market is indeed volatile, over long periods, it has always gone up. If you retire at, say, age 65 and you end up living to age 95, that’s a 30-year-long retirement, and it would be a shame to not have some of your portfolio invested in what are usually the best long-term growers — stocks.

A good strategy is to keep any money you expect to need within five years (or 10 years, to be more conservative) out of stocks — because in the short term, anything can happen. And the stock market does pull back, whether modestly or sharply, every few years. But it has always recovered from pullbacks and has eventually gone on to reach new highs.

Diversifying your portfolio so that it includes bonds is fine — especially as you age. But remember that stocks tend to perform better over long periods. For example, Wharton School finance professor Jeremy Siegel has studied the long-term performances of various asset classes and found that over the 75 years between 1946 and 2021, stocks grew at an average annual rate of 11.3%, vs. 5.8% for long-term government bonds.

Which stocks should you consider for your portfolio? It’s hard to go wrong investing in a low-fee S&P 500 index fund for many years. That will instantly diversify your dollars across much of the American economy. Holding some dividend-paying stocks is another smart choice, as dividends from healthy and growing companies tend to increase over time. (Note that an S&P 500 fund will also provide some dividend income.)

If retirement planning has you confused or stressed out, consult a financial adviser, perhaps via NAPFA.org or GarrettPlanningNetwork.com.

My dumbest/smartest investment: Learned to hold on

My most regrettable investment? Back in the early 2000s, I bought Netflix when Fool co-founder David Gardner originally recommended it. I held on to my shares for a few years, then sold them because Netflix’s CEO, Reed Hastings, made some insensitive comments about Americans being self-absorbed. I don’t want to think about the could-have-beens if I’d kept those shares. But it taught me a valuable lesson: Hold on to good companies in bad times, as I did with Microsoft for about 10 years when it went sideways during its antitrust lawsuit days. — S., online

The Fool responds: Netflix had its IPO (initial public offering) back in 2002, and we recommended it in 2003. If you’d bought in, say, late 2003, you might have paid around $3 per share (on a split-adjusted basis). With the shares recently trading near $910 apiece, if you’d held on, you’d be sitting on a more than 300-fold gain, enough to turn a $1,000 investment into one worth around $303,000. You were smart to take a lesson from the experience, and if you’re still holding your Microsoft shares, you’ve enjoyed a more than ninefold gain over the past decade.

(Do you have a smart or regrettable investment move to share with us? Email it to TMFShare@fool.com.)

Foolish trivia: Name that company

I trace my roots back to 1688 and a coffeehouse by the river Thames in England, which was a gathering spot for ship owners and captains, some of whom bought insurance from businessmen there. By the 1730s, the coffeehouse was publishing shipping news daily. Over the years, I’ve covered losses from shipwrecks, hurricanes, oil spills, terrorist attacks and more — including the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks. Today, with more than 200 lines of business and a network of more than 4,000 insurance professionals, I’m a global leader in specialist insurance. Who am I?

Last week’s trivia answer

I trace my roots back to 1945, when I was launched in Minnesota to repair farm equipment. In 1954, I got my current name. A year later, I developed a snowmobile to help hunters move around in winter; it became extremely popular. I introduced all-terrain vehicles in 1985. I now offer a wide range of vehicles, including watercraft and motorcycles, bearing names such as Rzr, Ranger, Sportsman, Aixam, Timbersled, Indian, Slingshot and Bennington. My recent market value topped $3.5 billion, and I rake in nearly $8 billion annually. You may know me as the North Star. Who am I? (Answer: Polaris)

The Motley Fool take: Chew on this

Pet-supply purveyor Chewy (NYSE: CHWY) is dealing with macroeconomic headwinds, but pet spending could be turning the corner. Chewy reported revenue up 4.8% year over year in its fiscal third quarter (which ended in October), an improvement over the previous quarter’s 2.6% increase. Management expects strong growth in its fourth quarter, too.

Chewy is pursuing initiatives to build growing streams of repeat revenue from customers — via its Autoship program, membership services and health care offerings. With Autoship, customers can have pet food and other supplies automatically shipped on a regular schedule. Autoship made up 80% of last quarter’s sales and grew 9% year over year.

Chewy is already the No. 1 pet pharmacy business in the U.S., and it operates its own veterinary clinics under the brand name Chewy Vet Care. Chewy is also adding more private-label offerings, which deliver fatter profit margins.

Chewy is building an ecosystem of services that provide almost everything a pet owner needs. The company’s net income has already rebounded in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Assuming its near-term earnings-growth momentum carries over to 2025, the stock could hit new highs next year. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chewy.)

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post The Motley Fool: Dropped 84% in a single day appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

News of the Weird: The passing parade

Guest Contributor — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:00:57 +0000

South Korean model Ain, also known as Angel Box Girl, is being prosecuted for obscene exposure following incidents from last fall, Oddity Central reported. In Seoul and Gangnam, Ain walked through the streets wearing a large cardboard box with holes for her arms and legs — plus two more, which she invited strangers to put their hands in to grope her breasts and other body parts. Naturally, she attracted large crowds that police were called to disperse. “It’s freedom of expression,” she said. “I just wanted to market myself. I actually saw many positive reactions, with people telling me they support me and applaud my courage.” If found guilty, Ain could face a $3,800 fine or up to a year in jail.

Be careful what you wish for

The Lexington (Kentucky) Convention and Visitors Bureau appears to be desperate for tourists, the Associated Press reported. It is using an infrared laser to send messages toward potentially habitable planets in a solar system 40 light years away, luring extraterrestrials with “lush green countryside … (and) famous bluegrass.” Lexington native Robert Lodder, an expert in astrobiology and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), conceived the idea, and linguistics expert Dr. Andrew Byrd consulted: “We included … the molecular structure for water, bourbon and even dopamine … because Lexington is fun!” he said. See you in 2064!

Creme de la weird

You thought you were having a bad day? On Jan. 14, as an American Airlines flight prepared to leave Phoenix for Austin, Texas, the crew was forced to turn back to the gate, the New York Post reported. No, a door didn’t fall off the fuselage. A passenger posted on Reddit that an “audibly disgruntled” man boarded and sat down, then inexplicably exclaimed, “You thought that was rude? Well, how about this smell” — and then passed gas. Then he announced, “Yeah, everybody, let’s just eat the smelliest food possible all at the same time!” A flight attendant told the flatulent man, “That’s enough,” but as the plane taxied to the runway, it stopped. The Reddit user shared: “We get back to the gate and a flight attendant comes back and informs fartman that he will not be staying on this flight.” He grabbed his bag and deplaned; the flight was delayed by only about 20 minutes.

News you can use

Researchers at Western Sydney University have revealed results of a study showing that frequent nose-pickers may have a higher probability of developing Alzheimer’s disease. WION-TV reported on Feb. 7 that the habit introduces germs into the nasal cavity that trigger the brain to produce beta-amyloid as a defense. An abundance of beta-amyloid is believed to be the leading cause of Alzheimer’s. “It is essential to note that the temporary relief obtained from nose-picking is not a substitute for proper nasal hygiene,” the report said — “proper nasal hygiene” being “regular cleaning and maintenance of the nasal passages through gentle methods such as saline nasal rinses or blowing the nose.”

Field report

On Jan. 20, as an Amish couple from Shipshewana, Indiana, shopped at a Walmart in Sturgis, Michigan, Lona Latoski, 31, allegedly climbed inside their buggy and directed their horse away from the parking lot, MLive.com reported. A witness saw the woman drive off and thought it was odd that she wasn’t Amish, but didn’t report the theft. When the couple came out and realized their ride was gone, a truck driver offered them shelter from the cold and alerted police, who tracked down the buggy at an Admiral gas station, where it was parked. Latoski was located in the motel next door, hiding under a pile of clothing in a shower. She admitted taking the horse and buggy and said she had “instant regret … but she was cold and needed to get home,” the officer said. “I asked her if she had ever had any training with equestrians,” he said. “She did not know what ‘equestrian’ meant.” (Apparently, nor did the officer.) Latoski was charged with larceny of livestock and general larceny.

The entrepreneurial spirit

When Carole Germain, 46, of Brest, France, adopted a pig in 2020, she didn’t foresee that Couscous would lead her to a new business venture: pig pedicurist. Yahoo! News reported that Germain, who runs a bar in Brest, has started traveling all over France to trim the tusks and hooves of porcine pets. In fact, she’s selling the bar to devote herself full-time to the practice. “It’s nuts. I thought I was the only person who had one hogging the couch. But there are thousands,” she said. On one trip around the south of France, she treated 43 pigs.

Cheeky

Rawiya Al-Qasimi, a female reporter, was covering an event in Riyadh on March 4 when a Saudi Arabian robot called Android Muhammad unexpectedly slapped her posterior during a live shot, the Daily Star reported. Al-Qasimi pushed the robot’s hand away and rebuked him. Before the untoward touching, Android Muhammad introduced himself, saying, “I was manufactured and developed here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a national project to demonstrate our achievements in the field of artificial intelligence.” Ironically, had he been a real man, he might have faced jail time for his inappropriate behavior.

Wait, what?

Deputy chief physician of pediatric neurosurgery Dr. Li at Hangzhou Children’s Hospital in China shared a video on social media on March 11 after a baby boy was born sporting a 4-inch-long tail, WION reported. The doctor suspected a condition called a tethered spinal cord, which means the spinal cord is abnormally connected to surrounding tissues, typically at the base of the spine. Doctors advised against removing the tail, as doing so might result in irreversible damage.

New world order

“Father Justin,” an AI priest created by Catholic Answers, a Christian group in San Diego, was defrocked on April 24 after claiming to users that he was a real member of the clergy and performing sacraments, the New York Post reported. Holy Justin told users he was a priest in Assisi, Italy. He shared his views on sexual issues and took confession, concluding with, “Go in peace, my child, and sin no more.” He also advised one user that they could use Gatorade to baptize their child. Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, explained: “We chose the character to convey a quality of knowledge and authority … Many people, however, have voiced concerns about this choice.” The avatar was rebranded as Virtual Apologist Justin, minus the cassock and collar, after an uproar about his behavior. “We won’t say he’s been laicized,” Check said, “because he was never a real priest!”

Stickin’ it to the man

Etienne Constable received a letter in July 2023 from Seaside, California, asking him to conceal the boat he’d had parked in his driveway for about four years, The Washington Post reported. The city said boats and trailers must be “screened on the side and front by a 6-foot fence.” Constable installed a fence — and hired his neighbor, mural artist Hanif Panni, to paint a photorealistic image of the boat and the rest of the driveway on the side of the fence that faces the road. The mural was completed in early May. “We kind of hit the sweet spot between following the rules and making an elegant statement to the contrary,” Constable said. Nick Borges, Seaside’s city manager, admired the work and said, “The only action I’m going to take is a high five, and that’s it.”

What’s in a name?

On July 22, when officers noticed a white van on the I-5 near Weed, California, that kept swerving out of its lane, they engaged their lights and sirens — and it still took almost 3 miles for the van to pull over, KOBI-TV reported. Inside the van, they found 1,021 rooted marijuana plants, which, according to driver Yung Fai Sze, 53, were on their way to Oregon. However, Sze did not have the proper documentation from the California Department of Cannabis Control, so he was arrested and charged with illegal transportation and possession of marijuana.

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post News of the Weird: The passing parade appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Debutante Club of Greenville held Its 68th Annual Ball at the Poinsett Club on Dec. 28

Guest Contributor — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000

The Debutante Club of Greenville presented 11 young women at its 68th Annual Ball.

Mary Barton Bell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Griffin Bell, is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barton Richards Swalm of Greenville, and Mrs. Alfred Norman Bell of Greenville and the late Mr. Bell. A student at Elon University, she was presented by her father and escorted by Phillip Griffin Bell, junior.

Lilly Kathryn Burnett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lance Townsend Burnett, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Anthony John Stark III of Greenville and the late Mr. Stark, formerly of Westfield, New Jersey, and Mr. and Mrs. Woods Wannamaker Burnett of North Augusta. A student at Clemson University, she was presented by her father and escorted by Parker Brennan Burnett.

Annabel Laird Crosswell, daughter of Doctors Howland Earle and Mary Fran Ratchford Crosswell, is the granddaughter of the late Mrs. John Finlay Welter, formerly of Seneca and Doctor Max Glenn Ratchford, formerly of Clemson, and the late Mrs. Nancy Laird Crosswell, formerly of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Mr. Bright Williamson Crosswell, formerly of Pawleys Island. A student at the University of North Carolina, she was presented by her father and escorted by Howland Bright Crosswell.

Elizabeth Seignious Culler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hampton Houser Culler IV, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Henry Marvin Harrison of Greenville and the late Mr. James Thompson Bladon, formerly of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Mrs. Barbara Ann Seignious of Greenville and Mr. Hampton Houser Culler III of Greensboro, North Carolina. A student at Clemson University, she was presented by her father and escorted by Henry Charles Lominack.

Mary Grace Culler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hampton Houser Culler IV, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Henry Marvin Harrison of Greenville and the late Mr. James Thompson Bladon, formerly of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Mrs. Barbara Ann Seignious of Greenville and Mr. Hampton Houser Culler III of Greensboro, North Carolina. A student at the University of South Carolina, she was presented by her father and escorted by Hampton Houser Culler V.

Camilla Brice Hipp, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Reid Hipp, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Marsha Ligon Dargan of Greenville and the late Mr. James Michael Saleeby, formerly of Florence, and Mrs. William Hayne Hipp of Greenville and the late Mr. Hipp. A student at The University of the South, she was presented by her father and escorted by Hugh LaBarbe Willcox IV.

Camille McLaurin Hollis, daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Lynwood Breeden Hollis, junior, is the granddaughter of the late Mrs. Toni Stroud Faulconer, formerly of Greenville, and Mr. Richard Andrew Maxwell of Simpsonville, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Lynwood Breeden Hollis, formerly of Bennettsville. A student at the University of Virginia, she was presented by her father and escorted by Connor Spearman Overbay.

Avery Turrentine Nuckolls, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jeremiah Nuckolls III, is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Newton Turrentine of Spartanburg, and Mrs. Ann Lowe Nuckolls of Greenville and the late Mr. Thomas Jeremiah Nuckolls, formerly of Greenville. A student at Clemson University, she was presented by her father and escorted by Hamilton Earle Russell IV.

Mary Price Rainey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Chrestman Rainey, is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Berry Kenneth Bolt and Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Dean Rainey, junior all of Greenville. A student at Wofford College, she was presented by her father and escorted by Edward Chrestman Rainey, junior.

Matthews Blake Ramseur, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mullinnix Ramseur, junior, is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Aubrey Matthews, junior of Roanoke, Virginia, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mullinnix Ramseur of Greenville. A student at the University of Hawaii, she was presented by her father and escorted by David Walker Ramseur.

Catherine Twining Smith, daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Jones Smith and Mr. Samuel Wilson Smith IV, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Edgar Eugene Jones II of Greenville and the late Doctor Jones, formerly of Mount Pleasant, and Mrs. Samuel Wilson Smith III of Greenville and the late Doctor Smith. A student at Auburn University, she was presented by her father and escorted by Jack Douglas Wright.

Officers of The Debutante Club of Greenville are Mrs. Jack Eric Hinsdale, president; Mrs. Joseph Cart de Brux, junior, vice-president/president elect; Mrs. Thomas Martin Fridy, secretary; Mrs. James Hunter Wright, assistant secretary; Mrs. Edmond Brent Williams, treasurer; and Mrs. Ross Benjamin Kester, assistant treasurer.

Other board members are Mrs. James Benjamin Alexander, Mrs. Edward Perry Heidtman, Mrs. Robert Ray Morgan, junior, Mrs. Michael Jason Palmer, Mrs. David Bynum Poole, Mrs. Charles Oliver Williams III.

Mrs. Lynwood Breeden Hollis, junior is the ex-officio member of the board. Mrs. Thomas Jeremiah Nuckolls III is the advisor to the board and the chairman of the Mothers’ Committee. Mrs. Charles Moss Duke III is the calendar chair. Mrs. Francis Watters Jackson, junior, and Mrs. Jennings Gillem Pressly are the historians.

The post The Debutante Club of Greenville held Its 68th Annual Ball at the Poinsett Club on Dec. 28 appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Motley Fool: The best time to start

Guest Contributor — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:18:12 +0000

Ask the Fool: The best time to start

Q: When is the best time for me, a new investor, to buy stocks? — C.D., Spokane, Washington

A: Since no one knows whether the stock market is headed up or down today, tomorrow or next year, it’s generally best not to try to pinpoint a perfect entry time. Instead, just start as soon as you have spare cash to invest. (This assumes you’ve paid off high-interest-rate debt and you have an emergency fund at the ready, before you put money into stocks.)

That advice is especially important if, like most people, you’ll be making incremental purchases over a long time instead of a large one-time investment. The market does experience downturns every so often, but over decades, it has always gone up.

As a newbie, be sure to read up on investing so that you’re comfortable committing your hard-earned dollars to various investments. A great formula for building long-term wealth is to buy into strong and growing companies that have sustainable competitive advantages and are trading at attractive prices. Aim to hold for years, but be sure to follow their progress. Even simpler, just stick with low-fee, broad-market index funds, which are great for any level of investor. Learn more at Fool.com.

Q: What’s an IPO “lockup period?” — O.S., Alpharetta, Georgia

A: Lockup periods are common following initial public offerings (IPOs) — when companies first issue their stock to investors. Lockups require insiders who hold shares to refrain from selling any for a set period of time after the IPO — typically between three and six months. That’s meant to keep share prices stable or rising. Stock prices often head south for a while once the lockup period expires and some insiders start selling.

Fool’s school: Real returns

Here’s a distinction long-term investors need to understand: real returns versus nominal returns.

We tend to think primarily in terms of nominal returns, which reflect the absolute gains we’ve earned from our investments. If you invested $1,000 a decade ago and it’s grown to be worth $2,000 now, you have a nominal return of $1,000. Annualized, that would be a gain of about 7.2% per year, on average.

Nominal returns show how much we’ve made (or lost) in absolute terms. But remember that inflation is lurking, quietly shrinking the purchasing power of our dollars. Over many decades, it has averaged a bit over 3%. That shrinkage may not be noticeable in one year, but over many years it will be.

If you doubled your money in a decade but inflation averaged about 3% over that time, something that used to cost around $750 would cost you around $1,000 today (roughly a third more). Put another way, the purchasing power of that $750 would be about 25% less because you’d only be able to buy three-quarters of what you used to be able to buy with it.

Real returns reflect the effect of inflation. A common but technically imprecise way to determine your real return in this example is to take your nominal average annual gain of 7.2% and subtract the annual inflation rate, which we said was 3%; the result is 4.2%. So over that decade, your money looked like it grew at an average annual rate of 7.2%, but when you factor in inflation, the buying power of your money grew at only an average rate of 4.2%. (Some calculations of real returns also incorporate the effect of taxation, but we’re leaving that out in our simple example.)

As we save and invest, amassing nest eggs for retirement, we should always keep the power of inflation in mind. Don’t assume that, say, a million-dollar nest egg will be enough if retirement is 25 years away, because $1 million dollars 25 years from now may have only half the purchasing power of $1 million today.

My smartest investment: First investment did well

My smartest investment was also my first. I was already in my 50s in the 1990s, when I decided to try my hand at investing. So I timidly opened a dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) with Sempra, the parent company of San Diego Gas & Electric. For about 15 years I made monthly investments, and for five more years I kept reinvesting the dividends. The share price in the early years ranged between about $16 and $29; it has increased a lot since then. And now the dividends pay my utility bill! My very first investment really panned out. — G.K., online

The Fool responds: That’s great! You did a bunch of things right, such as hanging on for years to a solid company and reinvesting dividends. Since mid-1998, when Sempra was formed via the merger of Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corporation, its stock has averaged annual gains of 8.5%, topping the S&P 500’s average of 7% and turning a $10,000 investment into around $86,000. Reinvesting dividends into more shares of solid companies is often a great move, and Sempra’s stock has averaged annual gains of 11.1% when dividends were reinvested, turning a $10,000 investment into about $162,000! How perfect that the dividends now pay your utility bills.

(Do you have a smart or regrettable investment move to share with us? Email it to TMFShare@fool.com.)

Foolish trivia: Name that company

Last week’s trivia answer

I trace my roots way, way back to 1649 — 375 years ago — when I was founded as a blacksmith shop along a river in Finland. Over a century later, in 1783, I started focusing on processing copper. In 1832, my fine art forge started making forks and scissors. Soon after, I was making steam engines. I now boast nearly 450 stores and brands such as Georg Jensen, Iittala, Moomin Arabia, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford and Wedgwood. You may know me today for my iconic orange-handled scissors. I rake in more than 1.1 billion euros annually. Who am I? (Answer: Fiskars)

The Motley Fool take: Built to last

Some investors are nervous these days, with the stock market having surged in the past few years and with economic uncertainty surrounding the incoming administration in Washington. If you’re seeking a solid long-term investment, consider buying into Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B).

Buffett is arguably the best investor around, and Berkshire’s stock has averaged annual returns of close to 20% over nearly 60 years, versus around 10% for the S&P 500. It may grow slower these days than decades ago, but it’s still growing.

More importantly, it’s built to last. It focuses largely on insurance, energy and transportation, but it has a variety of other businesses. It owns many companies outright, such as Benjamin Moore, GEICO, See’s Candies and the entire BNSF railroad. It also owns significant chunks of stock in other companies, such as American Express, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and Chevron.

Buffett is famously risk-averse, and Berkshire’s massive stockpile of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments — recently more than $325 billion — means he (or his lieutenants) can pounce on opportunities that appear.

Berkshire shares were recently trading at reasonable prices, but reasonable is OK if you’re planning to hold for a long time. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway.)

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post The Motley Fool: The best time to start appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

News of the Weird: Grinch

Guest Contributor — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 06:00:12 +0000

If you were hoping to extend your holiday spirit to your automobile and you live in Wyoming, think again. United Press International reported that the Wyoming Highway Patrol is reminding motorists that colored Christmas lights are not legal on civilian cars. The statute says that “no person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device thereon capable of displaying a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center thereof.” In other words, only cops get red and blue lights on their cars. The WHP posted a photo on Dec. 2 with a car completely covered in Christmas lights being pulled over. Bah, humbug!

Questionable judgment

A mushroom hunter identified only as “Helen” stumbled upon a new “dogging” destination in Kent, England, in early December, Kent Online reported on Dec. 17. Dogging, for those of you not up on your Brit slang, refers to open-air sexual activity. Helen was following a footpath along the A29 highway when her dog pulled her farther into the woods, where she discovered a large sex toy tied to a tree with string. “I looked from a distance and then I just left, as I was really disgusted and a bit freaked out by it,” Helen said. A local councilor said he is preparing a report about the issues; Kent Police said they haven’t received any reports of criminal activity there.

Rude

Ten- and 11-year-old students at Lee-on-the-Solent school in Hampshire, England, were traumatized in mid-December after Rev. Paul Chamberlain visited to conduct a religious education class, The Guardian reported. The good vicar started his discussion with the birth of Jesus, but he went on to tell the kids that Santa Claus is not real and that their parents buy the presents and eat the biscuits left out for the jolly old elf. Some students started to sob. “Paul has accepted that this was an error of judgment, and … he apologized unreservedly to the school, to the parents and to the children,” said a spokesperson for the Diocese of Portsmouth.
In April, Christina Sivilay of Kent, Washington, suffered a stroke which left her in a coma, KIRO-TV reported. When she woke up, she was greeted with an eviction notice from her apartment. The stroke has caused her to lose some movement and strength in parts of her body, so she’s unable to work. “When I came home from the hospital, I felt useless. I’m a worker,” she said. Sivilay is concerned about her two sons, 12 and 7 years old. “I just want them to know they’re OK, and that we don’t have to live in the street or a shelter,” she said. Relatives are helping, but when KIRO reached out to the apartment manager, there was no comment.

Least competent criminal

An unnamed man in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, allegedly caused a multi-vehicle crash on Dec. 4, KKTV reported. When officers arrived, they asked him how many drinks he had consumed, to which he answered, “probably 10. Hey, hey, hey, I’m gonna tell you right now, like, I’m a professional drinker,” he said. Police administered a breathalyzer test, which showed the man’s blood alcohol content was more than four times the legal limit. He was handcuffed and charged; no one was hurt in the accident.

You had one job …

Commuters in Samut Prakan, Thailand, were flummoxed upon arriving at a newly renovated bus stop, Nation Thailand reported on Dec. 7. The floor of the stop was concrete, which had been poured up to the bottoms of the seats of the brand-new green plastic chairs, causing riders to sit on the ground. While the contractor has acknowledged the mistake and vowed to fix it, online commenters have had a field day: “Designed for people to sit Thai-style, neatly and politely,” one said. “I love the concept behind this work,” said another.

Wait, what?

OK, first of all, who knew that grain silos have basements? But I digress. In El Dorado County, California, a horse fell through a narrow opening in the floor of an abandoned grain silo and into the structure’s basement, United Press International reported on Dec. 17. El Dorado Search and Rescue came to the animal’s rescue and used a pulley system to hoist Matsie the mare out of the basement, after which she was “reunited with her family and friends.” To which she responded, “Neeiiiiggghhhhh.”

Animal antics

On Dec. 14, at a rugby match in Buckinghamshire, England, between the Marlow Rugby Club 2nd XV and the Rams Rugby Club 3rd Team Centaurs, a Marlow player was flattened when a small deer ran onto the field and collided with him, the BBC reported. Neither the player nor the deer were injured, and Marlow went on to win the contest 19-17.

Risky business

Police in Long Island, New York, arrested Gladys Serrano, 70, in early December for practicing dentistry without a license from the kitchen of her one-bedroom apartment. A search of Serrano’s apartment revealed many of the tools of a legit dental practice, including drawers full of dental instruments and extraction tools, a dental treatment chair situated near the sink, impression molds, needles and vials of medication. The one victim identified by authorities (so far) had five “rotting” teeth extracted by Serrano. Myriam Kai, a neighbor who, like Serrano, hails from El Salvador, told WABC-TV New York, “I don’t know why they’re making this a big deal. She has a degree in El Salvador. She’s a great dentist.” Serrano faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Reunited

Do you remember your fourth grade lunchbox? Tracy Drain of Virginia is getting reacquainted with hers. It went missing 40 years ago and was found in early December by a plumber, who discovered the vintage Heathcliff-themed memento hiding in a pipe chase while he was working at Fairview Elementary School in Roanoke. A tag inside was adorned with Drain’s name, and a former co-worker of Drain’s reached out to her after reading about the lunchbox find in a Facebook post from the Roanoke City Public Schools. Drain told WDBJ-7, “I’m definitely going to treasure it because of mom’s writing on it and the way she took care of us as kids and how she raised us.”

Keeping spirits up

In “What could possibly go wrong?” news, an Ohio funeral home may soon be able to serve alcohol to grieving families. Evergreen Funeral, Cremation and Reception, in Columbus, applied for a liquor license earlier this year and could be serving as soon as January, reported ABC-WSYX on Dec. 16. Evergreen’s owner, Hunter Triplett, says he wants to shed the funeral industry’s dark, morbid reputation. One way to do that? Let mourners raise a toast to their lost loved ones. “My role in this position is to kind of be a party planner for the dead,” Triplett said. If approved, the facility would receive a D3 liquor license, which in Ohio allows the sale of beer, wine and hard liquor for consumption on-site. Interestingly, the property used to be a chocolate factory; perhaps Triplett could consider giving mourners truffles rather than Tito’s. That might keep “RIP” further away from “DUI.”

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post News of the Weird: Grinch appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Carolinian Debutante Club holds 55th Annual Ball at the Poinsett Club

Guest Contributor — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 23:30:57 +0000

The Carolinian Debutante Club presented 15 young women Dec. 20.

Miss Kathryn Ann Batson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Elliott Batson, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward Everett Gasque, junior, of Elloree, and Mrs. Louis Pinckney Batson, junior, and the late Mr. Batson of Greenville. A student at Clemson University, she was escorted by Mr. John Michael Pitts.

Miss Crawford Ivy Clayton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Helvenston Clayton, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Lawrence McKenney of Flat Rock, North Carolina, and Mr. and Mrs. Craig Helvenston Clayton of Orlando, Florida. A student at Washington and Lee University, she was escorted by Mr. Ryan James Johnsen.

Miss Mary Ellison Joye, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Randall Joye, junior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Morgan Todd Milford, junior, and the late Dr. Milford of Greenville, Sustaining Members of The Carolinian Debutante Club, and Mrs. Patricia Fletcher Joye of Simpsonville and Mr. Richard Randall Joye of Greer. A student at the University of Virginia, she was escorted by her cousin, Mr. Charles Edgar McDonald, IV.

Miss Ava Gray Kitchens, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George Gray Kitchens, junior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Ms. Jane Langford Gray of Greenville and Mr. and Mrs. Larry Samuel Kimel of St. Simons, Georgia, and Mrs. George Gray Kitchens and the late Dr. Kitchens of Greenville. A student at High Point University, she was escorted by Mr. William Sinton Cobb, V.

Miss Abby Rose Morgan, daughter of The Honorable and Mrs. Grenville DeLorme Morgan, junior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. James Leonard Davidson and the late Mrs. Davidson of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Mrs. Grenville Delorme Morgan, senior, and the late Mr. Morgan of Greenville. A student at The University of Mississippi, she was escorted by Mr. Charles Samuel Maronick.

Miss Evan Jaymes Parramore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Len Parramore, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Vance Crowther of Wildwood, Florida, and Mr. and Mrs. James Alexander Parramore of Madison, Georgia. A student at the University of South Carolina, she was escorted by her brother, Mr. Bennett Alexander Parramore.

Miss Anastasia Timmons Pelham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Heyward Pelham, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Heyward Gibbes Pelham of Greenville, Charter Members of The Carolinian Debutante Club, and the late Mr. Robert Donald Ballenger and the late Mrs. Mary Ballenger, all of Greenville. A student at Savannah College of Art and Design, she was escorted by Mr. Samuel Williams Cooter.

Miss Mary Ellen Philpot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Holcombe Philpot, senior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Boyce Blanks, senior, and Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Henry Philpot, junior, all of Greenville. A student at the University of South Carolina Honors College, she was escorted by Mr. James Mason Goldsmith.

Miss Page Holden Rogers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Alan Rogers, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Lynn Moore of Lakeland, Florida, and Mrs. Betty Rogers Sherwood of Taylors and the late Mr. William Kenneth Rogers of Walhalla. A student at Clemson University, she was escorted by Mr. Benjamin Tindal Bryson.

Miss Anna Lane Sanders, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Richard Sanders, junior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Jenkins Sarvis of Greenville and Mrs. Henry Richard Sanders and the late Mr. Sanders of Spartanburg. A student at Clemson University, she was escorted by her brother, Mr. Henry Richard Sanders, III.

Miss Caroline Chatham Seaver, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Kay Seaver, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Ardeen Boulton and Colonel and Mrs. Roy Arthur Seaver, all of Greenville. Mrs. David Kay Seaver is a past president of the club. A student at the University of South Carolina, she was escorted by Mr. McGarry Frank Wannemacher.

Miss Sara Grace Sierra, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Luis Sierra, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Dr. Falls Lewis Harris and the late Mrs. Harris, Sustaining Members of The Carolinian Debutante Club, and the late Mr. and Mrs Hilario Sierra of Greenville. A student at Wofford College, she was escorted by her brother, Mr. William Harris Sierra.

Miss Estelle Humphreys Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Pickens Taylor, junior, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Bobbie Jo Wynn Long and the late Dr. Woodrow Wilson Long, junior, and Mrs. Victoria Smith Taylor and the late Dr. John Pickens Taylor, all of Greenville. A student at Furman University, she was escorted by her cousin, Mr. Woodrow Wilson Long, IV.

Miss Caroline Davis Uprichard, daughter of Dr. Kristen Lee Uprichard and Mr. John David Uprichard, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Vice Admiral and Mrs. Albert Henry Konetzni, Retired, of Woodbine, Georgia, and the late Ms. Barbara Lee Konetzni of Greenville and Dr. and Mrs. Albert Edward Uprichard of Greenville. A student at Rhodes College, she was escorted by Mr. William Patrick Reddick, junior.

Miss Virginia Grace Whaley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Erik Bryan Whaley, was presented by her parents. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Bruce Betts of Columbia and The Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Robert Bryan Whaley of Greenville. A student at the University of South Carolina, she was escorted by Mr. David St. Pierre DuBose, IV.

Mrs. Sidney Paul Mitchell, junior, president of The Carolinian Debutante Club. Other officers are Mrs. James David Cowart, president-elect; Mrs. Wadley Raoul Glenn III, recording secretary; Mrs. Willie Mears Howard, assistant recording secretary; Mrs. George Gray Kitchens, junior, corresponding secretary; Dr. Kathryn Repass Freedman, treasurer; Mrs. Thomas Andrew Fox, ball chair; Mrs. Creighton Edward Likes III, social chair.

Board members are Mrs. Erik Bryan Whaley, Mrs. Lane Whittaker Davis, Mrs. Lee Andrew Scroggins, III, Mrs. Bruce Wyche Bannister, Mrs. Thomas Claiborne Mardre, III and Mrs. William Sinton Cobb. Mrs. David Kay Seaver is the ex-officio member of the board. Advisors are Mrs. Thomas Searcy Ledbetter, Mrs. David Alexander Crigler and Mrs. David Alan Wilson.

The post The Carolinian Debutante Club holds 55th Annual Ball at the Poinsett Club appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

News of the Weird: Awesome albatross

Guest Contributor — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 03:00:34 +0000

A Laysan albatross named Wisdom, who lives at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, laid what experts believe to be her 60th egg recently, her first in four years. Wisdom is 74 years old, the Associated Press reported on Dec. 6. Laysan albatrosses mate for life; Wisdom’s mate, Akeakamai, has not been seen for several years, and Wisdom started stepping out with another male. “We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,” said Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at the refuge. Eggs typically incubate for about two months.

Fake Santa

Visitors at the Great Hall in Winchester, Hampshire, England, are demanding refunds after the quality of the Santa stand-in was not up to their expectations, the Guardian reported on Dec. 10. Comments included that he had a “blatantly fake beard” and “cheap red suit” and called the whole experience a “shambles.” “He wasn’t very talkative at all — he didn’t seem very jovial. It ruined the experience,” said dad Matthew Fernandez, 38, who brought his three children. His children were “in tears regarding the situation and said they knew he was a fake.” The Hampshire Cultural Trust said this year’s experience is different from last year’s and they would offer refunds to customers who had not visited yet.

Sign of the times

An unnamed woman in Chongqing, China, landed the grand prize of $1,380 after she managed to avoid using her mobile phone for … one hour, MSN reported on Dec. 3. A local business organized the “public welfare challenge” aimed to spotlight the issue of smartphone addiction. The winning participant showed up in her jammies and had to lie perfectly still, without benefit of distractions like books or movies. Out of 10 contestants, she was the only one who prevailed.

Eyes all over

Ever feel like you’re being watched? Someone in Bend, Oregon, has been putting googly eyes on public artwork in local roundabouts, reported the Sacramento Bee on Dec. 8. At least eight statues and sculptures have been “enhanced” so far, and city officials are none too pleased. “While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art,” read a Dec. 4 post on the city’s Instagram page. It seems the adhesive used by the googly bandit can damage the artwork; the city claims to have spent $1,500 on repairs so far. However, the comments on the city’s post were decidedly pro-whimsy: “These googly eyes give me the hope to move forward each day,” read one. Others included: “Let us have some fun,” “Googly eyes keep my mental health in a good place,” and the hard-to-argue-with “LONG LIVE GOOGLY EYES!”

That’s commitment

And you thought your commute was tough. International student Guangli Xu, 28, currently in his final semester at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, went viral in early December after posting a video on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) documenting his weekly commute. That is, his weekly 5,468-mile commute. Xu told SBS Mandarin that the trip from his hometown of Dezhou in China’s Shandong province to Melbourne and back — a journey he made 11 times between August and October — costs about $1,500, which ends up being comparable to what his cost of living would be if he stayed in Melbourne full-time. “But I think the money is better spent

Claus canceled?

The debate about a War on Christmas may be something of an annual tradition in American news media, but a recent letter from Vitaly Borodin, head of Russia’s Federal Project on Security and Combating Corruption, names Santa Claus himself as the key figure in an international Christmas conflict. According to Newsweek, Borodin’s letter to Russia’s Prosecutor General, first reported by the Russian news outlet Meduza, calls St. Nick a “foreign agent” and expresses concern that the jolly old elf is replacing Father Frost (also known as Ded Moroz), the country’s traditional Christmas figure. Borodin has at least one notable supporter in Mikhail Ivanov, deputy of the Bryansk regional parliament, who told the Russian outlet Life, “Santa Claus has become not so much a symbol of Christmas as a symbol of commerce and mass production.” Ivanov has called for Santa merchandise to be replaced with that of Ded Moroz all over Russia. Someone’s getting coal for Christmas.

Bad habit

A mafia investigation in Italy recently yielded 24 arrests, but one suspect stands out among the rest: Sister Anna Donelli. The BBC reported on Dec. 4 that a sting operation by the Italian police caught the nun using her position as a volunteer at a prison, which gave her “free access to the penitentiary facilities,” to relay messages and info between the notorious ‘Ndrangheta mafia and its incarcerated members. Donelli will surely have company as she awaits trial; the police operation, which involves hundreds of officers, is ongoing across northern Italy.

Issss that you ssssnoring?

Here’s some news to help you replenish your stock of nightmare fuel. The Indian Express reported that a man in Stellenbosch, South Africa, found a surprise under his bedroom pillow when he returned home in late November: a live cape cobra. The man immediately called Stellenbosch Snake Removals, who posted a video clip on Nov. 24 on Facebook of the removal by expert snake wrangler Emile Rossouw. The company called the highly venomous snake “by far our most dangerous cobra,” and said “with the Black Mamba it accounts for the majority of fatal snake bites in South Africa.” Sleep tight.

Saving Santa

Ho-ho-ho-no: One of Santa’s helpers had to be rescued off the side of a building, reported USA Today on Dec. 10. Firefighters were called to the scene of the Holiday Extravaganza in Norwalk, Connecticut, when a man dressed as Santa Claus got stuck 60 feet off the ground. The man was rappelling down the 13-story building when part of his costume became entangled in the rigging. The rescue crew pulled him to safety through a 6th-floor window; no injuries were reported. (Had it been the real Santa, of course, the reindeer would have flown to his rescue right away.)

Yay, science!

A Chicago middle schooler brought some goose droppings to science club — and landed in the middle of a biomedical breakthrough. The club is supervised by researchers from the University of Illinois as part of an initiative to “involve young learners in the search for new antibiotics,” reported ScienceAlert on Dec. 5. Students were instructed to “explore their neighborhood for new bioactive compounds.” Hence, goose poop from a local park. With the help of the pros, the student safely isolated a bacterium from the droppings that showed antibiotic activity — an incredibly rare and important feat, say the experts. Not only that, but the bacterium also produced a never-before-seen natural compound which, in lab tests, slowed the growth of certain cancer cells. The student is now listed as a co-author of the peer-reviewed paper on the discoveries.

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post News of the Weird: Awesome albatross appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Motley Fool: The best number

Guest Contributor — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 15:00:44 +0000

Ask the Fool: The best number

Q: What’s the best number of different stocks to own? — M.H., Saginaw, Michigan

A: There’s no one-size-fits-all best number for all investors. If you’re not able or willing to study and keep up with your holdings, don’t own any individual stocks. Instead, opt for a simple, low-fee index fund such as one that tracks the S&P 500. (That index has averaged roughly 10% annual gains over many decades.)

If you do want to invest in individual stocks, we suggest owning 25 or more stocks and aiming to hold them for at least five years. (Owning too few stocks can be risky — if one implodes, it can take a big chunk of your portfolio with it.) Owning just a handful of stocks can be fine, though, if most of your money is in one or more broad index funds.

You could hold several dozen stocks, maybe even 100, as long as you have great confidence in each after you research them. Make sure you’ll be able to keep up with all of them, too, reading at least their annual and quarterly reports.

Q: Why be invested in stocks if they’ll all fall whenever the market crashes? — T.P., Venice, Florida

A: You’re right to expect a small market correction or a bigger market crash every few years. But you’d have to stay out of stocks entirely if you wanted to avoid drops in the market, as no one knows when they will occur.

The best strategy is to be a long-term investor, buying into great companies and hanging on to them through market surges and downturns. That’s because in the long run, the stock market has always recovered from losses and continued to go up.

Fool’s school: Timing the market: A futile endeavor

Trying to perfectly time when you get in or out of the stock market is ill-advised, as no one knows what it will do from one day — or year — to another. (Over many years, though, it tends to go up.)

That said, it’s often smart to invest in the stock market after it has fallen, as that’s when you’ll find shares of terrific companies available for lower — sometimes much lower — prices.

Meanwhile, if the market has soared in recent years, it’s often best to just start investing, since the market could keep rising for a few more years before pulling back. If you have bad luck and it crashes right after you buy, just hang on and wait — ideally adding more money to your investments. This is why you should never invest money you’ll need within a few years in the stock market, as it could head south for a year or more at any time.

The folks at Ned Davis Research, Morningstar and Hartford Funds have illustrated the folly of trying to time the market. They looked at how the market performed during the 30-year period from 1994 to 2023 and calculated how you’d do if your timing led you to miss the 10 best days out of those 10,000-plus days. If you stayed fully invested, you’d have turned $10,000 into $181,763. If you’d missed those 10 days, you’d end up with $83,272. Yikes!

The researchers added: “Avoiding the market’s downs may mean missing out on the ups as well. 78% of the stock market’s best days occur during a bear market or during the first two months of a bull market.” Trying to time the market can leave you on the sidelines at the wrong times.

Consider the sage words of respected investor Philip Carret: “It makes no sense for individual investors to jump in and out of the market. People who trade in that way rarely die rich, whereas the patient investor often does.”

My dumbest investment: Banked on it — and lost

My most regrettable investment was in First Republic Bank, which essentially went out of business, wiping out over 99% of my stock value. I kept investing, thinking that someone would buy the bank. — M.B., online

The Fool responds: Ouch. It can seem reasonable to expect a company in trouble to be bailed out one way or another, but if and when that happens, existing shareholders are often left with little to nothing — as you experienced.

Buying more shares of a plunging stock is sometimes referred to as trying to catch a falling knife. It’s a risky thing to do, because many stocks taking a dive never recover. A less risky way to aim for great returns is by buying into great companies at good prices — and then hanging on for many years, as long as they keep performing well.

First Republic Bank failed in part because there was a run on the bank following several other bank failures, and many of its customers’ accounts exceeded the $250,000 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance limit. In 2023, regulators closed the bank — and JPMorgan Chase acquired it (and its customers’ accounts). As is typical, shareholders in the bank didn’t fare as well.

(Do you have a smart or regrettable investment move to share with us? Email it to TMFShare@fool.com.)

Foolish trivia: Name that company

Last week’s trivia answer

I trace my roots back to 1981, when I was founded and named for Michael Kors; he built me into a major brand, selling jewelry, watches, footwear, clothing and much more. Today, I’m a “global fashion luxury group,” home to brands such as Versace and Jimmy Choo — as well as Michael Kors. (After buying Versace in 2019, I adopted a new name that evokes short pants.) Until recently, I was planning to merge with Tapestry, which owns Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman. My market value was recently $2.4 billion, and I rake in close to $5 billion annually. Who am I? (Answer: Capri Holdings)

The Motley Fool take: Just invest in it?

Nike (NYSE: NKE) has struggled lately. Cutting off wholesale distribution in favor of its own stores and website has helped, but it is not working as well, and it’s forcing management to adjust. There was a near-term drop in revenue as sales through big retail partners dried up while Nike shifted inventory to its own channels. Revenue fell 10% year over year in Nike’s first quarter of fiscal 2025, and management projected a slow recovery due to economic uncertainty.

But Nike’s gross profit margin increased by 1.2 percentage points in the quarter, thanks to streamlined product and warehousing spending and strategic price improvements. As Nike optimizes inventory management and returns to sales growth, both gross margin and operating margin should improve.

Nike’s price-to-sales ratio of about 2.4 is near its 10-year low. And while sales are currently moving in the wrong direction, there are several reasons to believe they’ll turn around. Nike has one of the strongest brands in the world, China still presents a growth opportunity and the company has been able to maintain its premium pricing. With earnings growth expected to rebound after this year, Nike could be a great stock to buy now and hold for several years while it works through its business model transition. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Nike.)

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post The Motley Fool: The best number appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

Photos: Grinch visits Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside Hospital

Guest Contributor — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 11:00:08 +0000

The Grinch, Dr. Ken Koschnitzki, visited Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside Hospital’s Mack Pazdan Neonatal Care Unit families.

Photos provided by Bon Secours

The post Photos: Grinch visits Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside Hospital appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

Photos: 2024 Travelers Rest Christmas Parade

Guest Contributor — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:00:49 +0000

Travelers Rest Chamber held its Christmas Parade Dec. 14.

Photo provided by Mad Violet Photography

The post Photos: 2024 Travelers Rest Christmas Parade appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

News of the Weird: Awesome turkey bomb

Guest Contributor — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 22:00:32 +0000

No doubt inspired by “WKRP in Cincinnati,” Esther Keim of Anchorage, Alaska, this year completed her third Alaska Turkey Bomb, the Associated Press reported. When Keim was growing up in rural Alaska, a family friend would drop turkeys to her family and others from a plane, along with newspapers and chewing gum. She started her tradition with a small plane she rebuilt with her father, and this year she dropped 32 frozen turkeys to people living beyond roads. Dave and Christina Luce live a 90-minute snowmobile ride from the nearest town. “I’m 80 years old now, so we make fewer and fewer trips,” Dave said. Keim has “been a real good friend.” She hopes to start a nonprofit organization to solicit donations and reach more people, with more than turkeys. “There’s so many kids out in the villages,” she said. “It would be cool to maybe add a stuffed animal or something they can hold.”

Family values

An unnamed mother in Cheshire, England, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for “extreme neglect” after her 3-year-old daughter of hers was found to have been living in a drawer under a bed, the BBC reported. The mother hid the child from her siblings and even from a boyfriend, who discovered her in 2023 after hearing her cry when the mom was away. The court said she was severely malnourished, looking more like a 7-month-old baby, and had a cleft palate, matted hair and other deformities. The mother told police she had not realized she was pregnant and was “really scared” when she gave birth, calling the child “not part of the family.” Judge Steven Everett said he could not “remember a case as bad as this in my 46 years.”
Three generations of a family in Palm Coast, Florida, celebrated Black Friday by shoplifting $400 worth of cosmetics and alcohol from a Target store, the Miami Herald reported. A 76-year-old woman, her 54-year-old daughter and a juvenile granddaughter were arrested after a Target loss specialist saw the juvenile putting items in her backpack, police said. The two adults were charged with theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor; the girl was turned over to her father.

Don’t try this at home

Firefighters battled a blaze for more than 16 hours in Weston, Connecticut, on Thanksgiving, WFSB-TV reported, after flames erupted as someone tried to fry a turkey. The fire, which started in the garage of a $4 million mansion, quickly spread to the rest of the house, and six other fire departments joined in the effort to fight the fire. None of the residents or neighbors were hurt, but the home was deemed “uninhabitable.”

Bright ideas

If you’re fortunate enough to live in California, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas or Florida over the next couple of weeks, you can have your photo snapped while driving through Taco Bell, KTLA-TV reported. “Every day in our drive-thrus, we see moments that are so uniquely ‘our fans,'” said Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery. Select locations will be transformed into photo booths, with some of the photos ending up on a Taco Bell commercial during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Participating fans will need to have the TB app and scan a QR code at the drive-thru. Photos will be sent to the account holder’s email address. Smile!
In Lone Tree, Colorado, on Nov. 23, police officer Jacob Tarr was busy arresting a suspect in a theft when the perp took off on foot, KY3-TV reported. Thinking fast, Tarr commandeered a kid’s bike to continue the chase, police said. “The suspect might’ve had a scooter, but Officer Tarr had determination, and a kid’s bike,” the police shared on social media. The suspect, who had three outstanding warrants, was eventually nabbed and charged with felony theft.

But why?

Tyler Wade Gibson, 35, and his wife, Bailey Alexus Gibson, 32, were charged with child abuse on Nov. 27 in Columbia, Missouri, after Tyler tried to perform a circumcision at home on their infant son, Law and Crime reported. The parents took the child to Lake Regional Hospital after being alarmed by the amount of blood; Bailey told police she was “very hesitant” about her husband doing the procedure but helped him do it. Social services went to the home on Nov. 29 and removed five children. The Gibsons are scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 28.

Animal antics

They say all fashion trends eventually come back around. Science Alert reported on Dec. 3 that orcas off the West Coast of North America have started wearing salmon as hats — again. The fad was first noticed in 1987 in Puget Sound, when orcas started balancing dead fish on their noses. Scientists believe they may be storing the food for later or “showing off,” or it may just feel good. Humpback whales, for example, have been known to wear hats of seaweed. “Honestly, your guess is as good as mine,” said Deborah Giles, science and research director at Wild Orca. With further study, “we may be able to gather enough information to show that, for instance, one carried a fish hat for 30 minutes or so, and then he ate it.”

Least competent criminal

Maybe don’t record your crimes in your journal — that’s the lesson just learned by Vanessa Guerra, 30, of Mankato, Minnesota. The Smoking Gun reported that on the same day that a 2004 Ford Freestar van was stolen, Guerra wrote in her diary: “Totally stole a car today! Something I never thought of doing.” She sold the van to an auto salvage company for $2,000. As investigators closed in on Guerra as the thief, she told them she didn’t know the van was stolen — but they were “able to locate a journal belonging to Guerra” that included her admission. She was charged with two felonies.

It’s come to this

From the “But Why Would You Want To?” file: The New York Post reported on Dec. 4 that Miller High Life has released a new cologne, just in time for the holidays. Dive Bar-Fume evokes the smells of a bar counter, leather stools and tobacco so you can be in your favorite dive bar whenever you want. It also includes sea salt (for the “basket of fries and popcorn”) and Champak blossom, which of course smells like Miller High Life. It’ll set you back $60 and comes in a fancy gift box. One commenter asked, “Does it smell like shattered dreams?” Touche.

Questionable judgment

Amanda Joudrey LeBlanc of Blandford, Nova Scotia, found a dog sitter she liked and booked them several times over the summer, the CBC reported on Nov. 19. That is, until she discovered a video of the sitter advertising an account on OnlyFans. LeBlanc immediately recognized her own home in the background — her bathroom and her outdoor pool. She bought a subscription to the service and discovered more explicit content filmed in her house. “I am still shocked by it to be honest with you,” LeBlanc said. “Everyone can do whatever they want. I don’t care. I just don’t want it done in my home.” The dogs were not featured in the videos.

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post News of the Weird: Awesome turkey bomb appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

The Motley Fool: The best time to start

Guest Contributor — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:32:46 +0000

Ask the Fool: The Best Time To Start

Q: When is the best time for me, a new investor, to buy stocks? — C.D., Spokane, Washington

Q: What’s an IPO “lockup period?” — O.S., Alpharetta, Georgia

Fool’s school: Real returns

Here’s a distinction long-term investors need to understand: real returns versus nominal returns.

My smartest investment: First investment did well

(Do you have a smart or regrettable investment move to share with us? Email it to TMFShare@fool.com.)

Foolish trivia: Name that company

Last week’s trivia answer

The Motley Fool take: Built to last

Berkshire shares were recently trading at reasonable prices, but reasonable is OK if you’re planning to hold for a long time. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway.)

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

The post The Motley Fool: The best time to start appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

Photos: Good Night Lights at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital

Guest Contributor — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:00:47 +0000

Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate hosted its annual Good Night Lights event to welcome the community to participate in the hospital’s holiday initiative of providing toy donations and shining flashlights towards patients’ windows to send well wishes, positive thoughts and holiday cheer.

Photos provided by Prisma Health

The post Photos: Good Night Lights at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

Photos: 2024 Rudolph Run at Night

Guest Contributor — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 22:00:45 +0000

The Rudolph Run at Night one-mile Kids Run and 5K was held Dec. 7 in downtown Fountain Inn. The event had 218 runners, many who dressed in festive clothes and headbands.

Photos by Jay Baker Media

The post Photos: 2024 Rudolph Run at Night appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.