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Dear Eric: My husband and I are in our 70s and retired to a new community. We are engaged in church ministries and social groups that meet for dinner periodically. I volunteer and he is an avid golfer. My problem is not being able to turn new relationships into meaningful friendships. I have met many wonderful people but have a problem getting close with anyone. Any suggestions? — Feeling Isolated Dear Isolated: I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re not alone. Many adults struggle to make the deep connections they want, especially later in life or in new communities. I turned to my friend and friendship expert Anna Goldfarb, author of “Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections.” Here’s what she advises: “One of the best strategies for deepening a friendship is to provide what researchers call social identity support, which is seeing your friends for all the roles they play in their life: their race, class, gender and religion. This could look like asking to try their favorite dishes they grew up eating, including them in your cultural traditions and signaling that you’d like to be a part of theirs, too. “Another strategy is to recruit an accountability buddy. Identify a meaningful goal you both want to achieve — moving your body more, learning how to knit, watching every Matt Damon movie in chronological order — whatever floats your boat. Your friendship will deepen as you cheer on one another because you’re more invested in your successes.” Goldfarb told me, and I agree, that you’re off to a great start. So, you should congratulate yourself on making the effort and for continuing to try. It’s not always easy or as straightforward as we’d like, but you’re on the right path. Dear Eric: I enjoy your column and would like to make a comment regarding the letter from “Game Off” regarding her frustrations with her 10-year-old grandnephew who plays video games while on family vacation. I agree family time is important, and, in her own home, she should negotiate something with her niece so she can spend time with her grandnephew during visits. However, she’s completely out of touch regarding gaming. Many colleges now have competitive gaming teams supported by computing and graphic design faculty and they operate out of the athletics department just like other teams — it’s called “esports” and is becoming a big business. Her grandnephew may be headed to a successful career down the road through gaming. — Game Time Dear Game Time: You’re right, it’s all about balance. The letter writer can and should communicate her needs and wants regarding family visits. But she should also remain open to parenting choices that may not be what she would do in a similar circumstance. Additionally, while moderation is important when making decisions about gaming, you’re correct that it’s a growing and sometimes lucrative field of study and competition. The first esports college scholarship was given out in 2014 and there are currently more than 250 varsity-level esports programs across the United States and Canada, per the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Cute carnivoresBy SHAWN CHEN NEW YORK (AP) — It’s time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we’ll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members. And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it’s also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season : Whether it’s Windows , macOS , iOS or Android , simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family’s computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of “Why isn’t this app working?” type of questions from your relatives. Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. — Use the cloud to back up media: iPhone users can free up space occupied by songs and pictures by storing them on iCloud . Android users can use the Google Photos app to back up and store their photos on their user space. — Clear browsing data: Each major browser has an option to clear its data cache — cookies, search and download histories, autofill forms, site settings, sign-in data and so on. Over time, these bits take up a significant amount of storage space on mobile devices and home computers. So cleaning caches out periodically helps free up space and, in some cases, improves system performance. According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That’s a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that’s one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager . They’re useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys . As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | Fox News loses bid for Smartmatic voting-tech company’s records about Philippines bribery case National News | Gunman who killed UnitedHeathcare CEO left eerie message on bullets, NYPD sources say National News | Today in History: December 5, Nelson Mandela dies at 95 A quick way to remember what to do when you think you’re getting scammed is to think about the three S’s, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer “Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected,” she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you’re victimized. Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they’ve paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they’re still rocking an aging modem and router.
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Table-toppers Guyana Amazon Warriors will meet bottom-placed Rangpur Riders in the ongoing Global Super League 2024 on December 5, which will start at 4:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). The Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Rangpur Riders T20 match will be played at Providence Stadium in Guyana. Unfortunately, no TV telecast of GSL 2024 in India will be available meaning fans will not have any live viewing option of the encounter. However, fans can watch live streaming viewing option of GSL 2024 on the FanCode app and website, which will need a pass. Global Super League 2024 Schedule Announced: Here's Full Teams List of Teams Including Lahore Qalandars and Guyana Amazon Warriors Who Will Participate In GSL T20 . It’s match day in Guyana 🇬🇾 As the @amznwarriors take on the @Joyerlorai tonight at Providence! #GSLT20 #GAWvRR #GlobalSuperLeague pic.twitter.com/jDUYUKCXGf — Global Super League (@gslt20) December 4, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Is Merck the Next Big Weight-Loss Stock?With bright eyes, post-World War II baby boom children filled “toylands” at area stores, amazed at the brightly colored offerings as local retailers stacked the shelves for lucrative Christmas sales. Children faced the difficult dilemma of which item to whisper in Santa’s ear. The exploding youth population, postwar prosperity, and the development of polystyrene and other plastics brought a continual panoply of new toys. For girls, baby dolls, strollers, tea sets, and dollhouses predominated. The downtown Bloomington Walgreens at Main and Washington streets offered a latex doll with a stroller for $3.29 in 1953. A block away at 220 N. Center St., J.C. Penney’s featured a doll in a pink outfit for $4.98. With her moveable brown eyes, the retailer promised that “Your ‘little mom’ will love her at first sight.” In 1958, Osco at 210 N. Center St. sold all-metal dollhouses for $3.98. The toy aisles were gendered, a division still present today in stores. These prices seem amazing today, but the federal minimum hourly wage in 1950 was 75 cents. The current Illinois minimum wage is $14. The doll world cracked the adult ceiling in 1958 when Barbie appeared, selling for $2.98 at Hobby House Toyland at 503 N. Main St. Barbie made Mattel a national brand. The company made headlines again in 1960 with its pull-string doll, “Chatty Cathy,” selling for $15.88 (which would be the equivalent of about $150 today) at Hobby House. That same year Ideal Toys premiered “Betsy Wetsy,” selling at the same store for $3.88 (about $41 today). Games, sports equipment and art supplies bridged the gender divide. With its yellow and red plastic insect body and curled proboscis, “Cootie” was a favorite. By 1952, just four years after its 1948 introduction, 1.2 million games were sold, and it was available at Osco downtown for $2. A Tinker Toy tube was available for 49 cents in 1950 at Schlitt’s, 601 N. Main St. That year, another perennial favorite, Lincoln Logs, sold for $2 at Montgomery-Ward, located at Front and Center streets. W.B. Read and Co. at 109 N. Main featured its third-floor Toyland. In 1954 one could find Viewmaster stereoscopic viewers for $2 and Craftmaster Paint-By-Number sets for $2.50 to $5. Read’s was famous for its sporting goods (still is), and renowned Flexible Flyer sleds were available that year, the price ranging from $7.50 to $11.75. When it wasn’t snowing, a bright red Flexible Flyer wagon brought hours of joy and was handy for a youthful newspaper deliverer. It retailed in 1949 at Blue Star Auto at 102 W. Front St. for $7.79. The late 1950s saw two new creative toys. Originally concocted as a 1930s wallpaper cleaner and enhanced with colors, Play Doh arrived in the consumer market in 1956, selling $3 million worth in 1958. It was available at Murray’s Hobbyland, 1112 N. Main St., and sold at four cans for 98 cents. In 1960 Ohio Art introduced the Etch-a-Sketch, available at Montgomery-Ward downtown in 1961 for $2.66. Television also influenced toys. TV westerns dominated both the adult and children’s audience, featuring the exploits of Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, the Cisco Kid, and the Lone Ranger. In 1955, Randall’s at North Street and Broadway in what is now uptown Normal sold two Lone Ranger six shooters for $9.95. However, nothing surpassed Disney’s Davy Crockett craze, at Brown’s Auto Store at 111 W. Front St. Coonskin caps sold for 98 cents in 1956. Those armaments and costumes were essential for roaming boys playing “cowboys and Indians” or “Army.” In the 1983 comedy "A Christmas Story," “Ralphie” badly yearned for an official Red Ryder air rifle (BB gun). The Pantagraph featured Red Ryder’s exploits in its daily comics. In 1949 Brown’s Auto sold a Red Ryder air rifle for $4.95. Hopefully, no local children receiving this gift “shot their eye out,” as every adult warned Ralphie. Another favorite were trucks. Structo Manufacturing, up the road in Freeport, Illinois, featured a diverse, cast metal vehicle line. In 1955, Klemm’s, located on the north side of the courthouse square, sold Structo truck sets from $2.98 to $17.95. Randall’s in Normal sold a steel Tonka steam shovel for $2.98. Brown’s Auto featured a hook and ladder fire truck, with a wind-up ladder mechanism, for $9.95. The premier and most pricey toy was an electric train. Lionel was the world’s most prosperous toymaker in 1953, selling $32.9 million in train sets. With their whistles, little white locomotive smoke pellets, and milk cars that hurled out little cans, the manufacturer could barely keep up with demand. The simplest Lionel Scout set with four cars sold at Sears at 312 N. Center in 1952 for $17.75 (almost $200 today). More elaborate sets sold for a whopping $60-$80, when the national median family income was $77 weekly. Chasing Lionel’s caboose was A.C. Gilbert’s American Flyer trains. In 1955, the downtown Osco lured train fans with a $46.50 American Flyer set for only $14.95 (while supplies last). Less detailed but affordable were the ubiquitous Louis Marx & Company’s products, which produced every toy imaginable. In 1949, Brown Auto was selling Marx electric train sets for $12.95 and wind-up trains for under $3. Besides American Flyer trains, A.C. Gilbert marketed science and construction kits. For budding scientists, Brown Auto sold either microscope or chemistry sets for $5.95 in 1954. Gilbert’s Erector sets started at W.B. Read in 1953 at $3.95 per set. Construction toys took a more realistic turn, with miniature, plastic I-beams, when Kenner introduced their Girder and Panel building sets in 1957. In 1960, Miller’s Town and Country Store at Grove and Madison streets featured a Kenner Bridge and Turnpike road construction set for $4.44. Electric trains cooled as space toys and electric slot cars zoomed past them in the late 1950s. In 1960, Hobby House sold Aurora Model Motoring sets, starting at $10.95. With a bulging children’s population and postwar prosperity, local retailers allured both parents and children with variety and colorful toys, reflecting an optimistic national mood. The CSX Santa Train delivers toys to children along a 110-mile portion of the CSX rail line tucked into remote coal-country river valleys of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. (AP video: George Walker IV) Nov. 18, 1911 Nov. 22, 1923 Dec. 6, 1924 Dec. 22, 1933 Dec. 7, 1938 Dec. 15, 1938 Dec. 15, 1938 Nov. 25, 1948 Dec. 1, 1948 Dec. 18, 1948 Dec. 18, 1949 Dec. 9, 1949 Dec. 18, 1949 Dec. 9, 1949 July 16, 1953 Dec. 11, 1953 Nov. 27, 1955 Dec. 20, 1956 Dec. 22, 1960 March 30, 1962 Dec. 20, 1966 Dec. 15, 1967 Nov. 28, 1973 Nov. 28, 1973 Oct. 10, 1974 Oct. 10, 1974 Oct. 25, 1984 Dec. 12, 1984 Oct. 30, 1999 Pieces From Our Past is a weekly column by the McLean County Museum of History. Mike Matejka is a museum volunteer and board member. Dive into hometown history With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history.