By Courtney Rubin, New York Times

As a professor who favors pop quizzes, Cedrick May is used to grimaces from students caught unprepared. But a couple of years ago, in his class on early American literature at the University of Texas at Arlington, he said he noticed “horrible, pained looks” from the whole class when they saw the questions.

He soon learned that the students did not know he had changed the reading assignment because they did not check their e-mail regularly, if at all. To the students, e-mail was as antiquated as the spellings “chuse” and “musick” in the works by Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards that they read on their electronic books.

“Some of them didn’t even seem to know they had a college email account,” May said. Nor were these wide-eyed freshmen. “This is considered a junior-level class, so they’d been around,” he said.

That is when he added to his course syllabuses: “Students must check email daily.” May said the university now recommends similar wording.

So students prefer social media. So far, so 2005. But some professors do not want to “friend” students on Facebook (“I don’t want to learn things about them I can’t unlearn,” said Thomas Tierney, an associate professor of sociology at the College of Wooster in Ohio) or do not think it is their job to explore every possible medium a student might prefer to use at 2am to find out about a test later that day.

Read the whole story

By Kyle Swanson

Arthritis affects approximately 50 million to 65 million Americans and those numbers will almost double by 2030.

Most people associate hips and knees with arthritis pain, but the shoulder is also commonly affected. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is simply the breakdown or loss of cartilage over time. Without cartilage, the joint doesn’t move as well, causing inflammation and pain.

There are many factors involved in the development of shoulder osteoarthritis. These include trauma to the shoulder, repetitive high demand use, genetics and age. Most patients have been active throughout their lives and have sustained injuries to the affected shoulder.

Kyle Swanson

Symptoms usually start to present themselves after the age of 50. Many patients with shoulder arthritis have pain and stiffness. A majority of the time the stiffness occurs in the morning and motion will improve throughout the day. Pain is usually a dull ache in the back or front of the shoulder. Sometimes there is catching or popping associated with motion. Pain is sometimes worse at night, especially when first lying down. Patients also notice loss of strength and function of the shoulder.

X-rays are usually adequate in diagnosing shoulder arthritis. They reveal loss of the normal joint space or osteophytes (bone spurs). Sometimes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is performed to determine the status of the rotator cuff or other soft-tissue structures.

Nonsurgical treatment is usually tried first. Anti-inflammatories are good at relieving pain by decreasing the inflammation within the shoulder joint. Sometimes a cortisone shot is given. Cortisone is a steroid which acts locally in the joint to decrease the inflammation. Cortisone shots should be given every four to six months.

Physical therapy is important for maintaining and improving shoulder motion as well as strength and function. Many of the exercises done in therapy can easily be done at home with a well-designed home exercise program.

The goal of surgical treatment is to improve pain. If the arthritis is mild, a simple shoulder arthroscopy may be performed. Removal of bone spurs and loose bodies can be done arthroscopically and the down-time is usually minimal.

However, if the arthritis is severe, then shoulder replacement may be necessary. For this procedure, the arthritic joint is replaced with metal and plastic components similar to hip and knee replacements. There have been some major advances in shoulder replacement surgery over the past decade, leading to better outcomes.

Shoulder replacement surgery is technically demanding. If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, it’s a good idea to talk with an orthopedic specialist to discuss your options.

Kyle Swanson is an orthopedic surgeon with Tahoe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.

By Jeremy Miller

Rush is Ron Howard’s re-creation of the highly intense era of Formula One racing during the 1970s, culminating in the 1976 Grand Prix. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara.

The piece focuses on the rivalry between drivers – British superstar James Hunt (Hemsworth) and the more conservative Austrian Niki Lauda (Bruhl). The story starts with each of them coming up through the Formula 3 circuit gunning for the big show. Their rivalry kicks off almost instantaneously with a tense disagreement off the track after the race.

They each evolve, both pushing themselves and their teams harder and harder with 90 percent of their focus on beating the other. Hemsworth’s portrayal of James Hunt was full of playboy appeal like one would expect. In hindsight I remember thinking “well wait, this just seems like how he is in real life, is he really portraying a character or just acting like he does off screen?” Then it hit me that maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, he had me so convinced of his character I thought it was real; kudos my friend.

Bruhl stole the show though, hands down. His performance was an absolute tour de force that very well may win him an Oscar. He channeled every bit of power he could through his character flawlessly. His injury and recovery were intense and riveting, making you shift your opinion over the course of the film. I feel somewhat obligated to speak to the faint-of-heart or those with a weak stomach — certain scenes are pretty rough.

Howard shows us how it would really be to be in a car that’s on fire for more than a minute, and by doing so empowered the character with all the drive and emotion he could to make the final race as epic as humanly possible. The film was backed by an expectedly impressive and uniquely crafted score from Hans Zimmer, the scenes of character rivalry and dialogue-driven emotion cut right to the core; and the race scenes had me on the edge of my seat begging for an outcome from the minute they started.

The conflict between the two was built flawlessly, their quips and digs were softly spoken at first … but they packed one helluva punch. As they each progressed through the circuit, the tension turned dirty, and every slight between them made me shake my head pondering how on earth it didn’t come to blows. It was great because I was most definitely rooting for each of them at different times, which made the peak of the film 10 times as climactic. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the history of all of it going in, which in a way I am thankful for. It made the ending’s delivery and outcome mean so much more seeing as how I was in the dark the entire time. I wanted each of them to win for different reasons, in different ways.

Howard’s resolution made sure to keep the audience pleased, as it’s an ending where everyone wins.

It’s a must see, an absolute triumph of rivalry and sportsmanship, not to mention flawless filmmaking typical of a movie mogul like Howard. He absolutely brought his A-game on this one and didn’t waste any time brushing off the cobwebs from his two-year hiatus (three if you don’t count “The Dilemma”). It reminded me what a powerful high budget motivating Hollywood blockbuster is all about. It delivered what this summer’s big movies couldn’t: a powerful story backed by an even more powerful screenplay portrayed by incredibly talented actors without any of the cliché fluff that typically turns me off from the stereotypical Hollywood productions. I left the theater, jumped in my car, fired her up and felt inspired … until of course I came back to reality and reminded myself that my 95 Sentra is pretty far from a Formula One Ferrari. Regardless, the film left a feeling of absolute satisfaction and appreciation for Howard’s impeccable style, the power of the characters and the story, like any big blockbuster very well should.

South Lake Tahoe resident Jeremy Miller has more movie reviews online.

John Matus passed away on Sept. 24 at age 100.

At the time of his death John was residing at Carson Valley Senior Living Center in Gardnerville. We are very thankful for the loving care he received while living there for the last four years.

John Matus

John was born in Riverside on Aug. 27 either in 1913 or 1914. (Records are conflicting.) He is the son of Albert and Mary Grucella Matus.

The Matus family was a large Polish/Czech Catholic family and John was the sixth of 11 children who grew to adulthood. John completed high school in Riverside and then was recruited to UCLA on a baseball scholarship, but chose instead to accept an acting scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse. There he discovered his passion for stage craft and began his career as a scenic artist and set designer in the movie, television and theater industry.

After Pasadena Playhouse, John assisted with classes in the theater department at UCLA and it was there that he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Johnston. They were married shortly after her graduation. During World War II, John was drafted into the Army and landed at Normandy on the second day after the invasion. He was captured and taken to a POW camp in East Germany. When the Russians liberated the camp over a year later, he and his fellow released prisoners made their way on foot to Odessa where they were picked up and sent back to the U.S.

When he returned to LA, he and Liz were intrigued with a growing television industry and moved to New York City to work in that field. Their first daughter Virginia was born in New York in 1947. They moved to Leonia, N.J., where they adopted a son, Joseph in 1955, and their son, Michael was born in 1956.

John worked as the set designer on several TV shows, including “As the World Turns” until 1967 when he moved his family back to Los Angeles in order to be closer to family.

In Los Angeles, he and Liz worked both in movies and television. In the late 1970s, they began thinking about retirement and while on a visit to John’s sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Don Clark in South Lake Tahoe, they purchased a lot in Cave Rock Estates, on which they eventually built their retirement home. They retired full time to Lake Tahoe in 1978, where John was an active member of Our Lady of Tahoe parish. After Liz, his wife of 43 years, passed away suddenly in 1984, John began working with a local stained glass artist. He later designed the stained glass windows for Our Lady of Tahoe Church.

John is survived by his daughter, Virginia and her husband Norm Glenn; his sons Michael and Joseph Matus; his brother George Matus, and sister Margaret Clabough, brother-in-law Richard Johnston and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Liz, his brother Joe and sisters Mary, Ann, Frances, Dorothy, Barbara and Helen.

The memorial service will be Oct. 21 at 10am at our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church at 1 Elks Point Road, Zephyr Cove.

John will be interred alongside his wife Liz at Forrest Lawn in Hollywood Hills.

Arrangements are being made through Walton’s Mortuary in Gardnerville.

For more information, call Virginia Glenn at (530) 541.5938 or vmatglenn@aol.com.

By Howie Nave

It’s a well known fact that in space nobody can hear you scream. In a movie theater, though, yes they can. I admit upfront that there were a few scenes where I didn’t scream, but an occasional gasp of anticipation? Definitely.

“Gravity” may not be the most accurate space movie I’ve seen (there were plenty of technical flaws) but it certainly keeps you riveted to the big screen. Much of that credit goes to the movie’s primary star, Sandra Bullock. She plays astronaut Ryan Stone, one of several crew members working on the Hubble telescope outside of the space shuttle (which of course is no longer in existence). Fellow (and senior) astronaut Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) is the only one not doing any work but instead jetting around the space shuttle showing off his maneuverability skills making wisecrack remarks to his fellow astronauts and to Mission Control back on Earth, which by the way makes for an impressive backdrop.

“Gravity” was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, (“Y Tu Mamá También” and “Children of Men”) and definitely the most challenging for him. The special effects in this movie were pretty amazing and must be seen in 3D. I normally wouldn’t say that, but given the dimension and depth of outer space it is a necessity and really adds to the movie going experience.

If you’re claustrophobic and hyperventilate easily, you might want to bring your own portable oxygen container when seeing this. Without giving too much away (nothing that the trailer hasn’t already), a catastrophic “accident” on the other side of the planet changes everything for the astronauts putting them in survival mode. Things move pretty quickly after that and you’ll be blown away (pun intended) at how fast the movie moves because everything is virtually in real time.

Sandra Bullock once again is caught up in what could be subtitled “Speed 3” but this time she’s orbiting thousands of miles above the planet Earth and moving just as fast so one missed calculation would mean no potential sequel. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that Bullock’s character is the female equivalent of the Tom Hanks’ character in the movie, “Cast Away.” And like that movie Bullock carries the entire movie being on-screen for pretty much every scene. Clooney’s character is more like an extended cameo. Bullock really worked out for this movie and director Cuarón makes sure that we get to see just how buffed out she is in all its 3D splendor.

A movie with just special effects would get old fast, so it’s up to Sandra Bullock to bring us on board with her character and to make us care for her and she does that easily with work being her only passion and reason for living. Later on we get to see a little of the philosophical side of her and makes you think about your own place in this life and if you should make some changes to maybe live it more fully.

When you see “Gravity” pay attention to the voice that is Mission Control. That’s Ed Harris you hear who had similar duties in Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” (1995) and who played astronaut John Glenn in “The Right Stuff” (1983) so a nice touch given his experience in outer space. Overall not a bad flick falling into the trifecta genre of sci-fi, drama and a thriller. That’s why I’m giving it 4 out of 5 bagels. “Gravity” clocks in at a brisk 90 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

Marcylee Yuki-Hashimoto and Louie

Marcylee Yuki-Hashimoto died suddenly and unexpectedly from a cerebral hemorrhage on July 15, 2013. She was 57.

She was married to Jon Hashimoto, known as “Jon the Plumber”, who died in May 2002.

She lived in South Lake Tahoe from the early 1990s to 2006 when she moved to Salem, Ore. She had hopes of returning to Lake Tahoe one day.

Marcy dearly loved her family, her many friends and especially her dog Louie who was always by her side. She treated everyone with kindness and always lent a helping hand.

She will be dearly missed by everyone who knew her.

By Robert Samuels, Washington Post

Philip Vahab loves it when strangers wander to the odd, wooden box outside his Northwest Washington rowhouse. Is it a birdhouse? Is it a fancy mailbox? Some ornamental, neighborhood talking point?

No. No. And kind of. The box is stuffed with paperbacks from Dean Koontz and Don DeLillo, free for the taking. Borrowers can return them — if they want — or trade them for a different book. At first blush, it might seem quaint. But the book house is a part of a burgeoning global literary movement just now taking root in the region.

The “Little Free Library” concept started four years ago in the Midwest, when an entrepreneur named Todd Bol watched his neighbors gobble up books placed outside his home. Back then, he dreamed that 2,500 similar libraries would be constructed by 2014. He was naive. There are already more than 10,000.

In the District, the first recorded little library belongs to Vahab. He built it in January, thinking it might be an interesting experiment for the Meridian Hill neighborhood.

He purchased a small, wooden model of a house on the Web, stained it and hoisted it onto a pole. He staked it amid the lush, little garden he had created in a swale near the edge of his front yard. Then he set down small red blocks, like crumbs in the woods, to lead pedestrians down the sidewalk to the library.

Read the whole story

Tahoe Arts Project will present the Lakota Sioux Dance Theater on Oct. 4 at 7pm at the Lake Tahoe Community College Duke Theater.

Founded in 1978 on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, the Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre began with the support of traditional Lakota Indian educators, healers, community leaders, championship pow-wow dancers, singers and storytellers. The company has appeared around the world including at the Kennedy Center, Olympics, and for the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Lakota Sioux Dance Theater will be performing in the South Lake Tahoe schools Sept. 30–Oct. 4.

General admission seating will begin at 6:30pm on Oct. 4. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children and $8 for seniors. They may be purchased in advance at the California and Nevada visitors centers. To charge tickets by phone, call (530) 542.3632. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Tahoe Arts Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing professional performing arts in the schools and community of South Lake Tahoe.

Aslan

Aslan is a beautiful orange long-haired boy who is about 6 years old.

He is very affectionate with people and doesn’t mind other well-mannered cats. Aslan is declawed on his front paws, so he needs an indoor only home.

Aslan is neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. He is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes.

Go online to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter.

Call (530) 573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

— Karen Kuentz

Nationally recognized author Rabbi Jamie Korngold will give a free talk in South Lake Tahoe based on her book “God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors”.

Jamie Korngold

Korngold, known as the ‘adventure rabbi’, will be at Temple Bat Yam on Oct. 5 at 7pm.

An ultramarathon runner, skier and climber, Korngold’s nature-based approach to Judaism reflects a belief that spiritual fulfillment is especially well accessed through the outdoors.

In her book, she uses biblical stories, personal experiences and witty insights to reveal “the rich traditions and lessons God taught our ancestors in the wild” and to explore “why the natural world is essential to the spiritual development.”

Temple Bat Yam is located at 3260 Pioneer Trail.

For more info, call (530) 542.1211 or email rabbi@tbytahoe.org.