…for the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.

…for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

…for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

…for my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

…for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

…for all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

…for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

…for the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

…for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

…for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

…for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive. !

…for getting too much e-mail because it lets me know I have friends who are thinking of me.

… Anonymous

Sports has given me a career, an unbreakable bond with my son, moments of joy never to be forgotten, catastrophic gut-punches of defeat that (immaturely) fracture the soul like losing a family member and a very special friendship that’s lasted a decade and spanned an ocean.

This tale starts outside Bologna, Italy at Gianni Falchi baseball stadium in August 2007. A young Italian man takes a photo of my son after the first game. But something about this Italian and his slightly-. fractured English draws me to him immediately. He is, I determine quickly, the most knowledgeable sports fan I’ve ever met as we talk about all American sports, international auto racing and, of course, soccer.

When game 2 starts at 9 AM that Saturday, the young man pulls out a baseball scorebook and keeps score, something I rarely see in U. S. parks. When the Fortitudo (home team) pitcher strikes out a batter, he is prepared with laminated forward and backward Ks that he tapes to a
nearby railing. I point to the several hundred other fans in the stands and say, “Afro, do these people understand what these [Ks] are for?” “They don’t understand anything,” he shoots back at me and I realize he has a NY  sense of humor on top of everything.

We exchange email addresses and Afro, my son Andrew, and I have been teammates in love with sports ever since. Afro and I co-manage an NFL fantasy team. He taught us to love soccer and we’re immaturely over-passionate about his Inter Milan team that the three of us talk and text endlessly about.

He visited us a year later and we took him to Shea and Yankee stadiums, Fenway Park, games in Philly and Baltimore, museums and Blue Man Group. He was there to witness a classic moment in family history. On the way to Fenway, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. We ate in the car and when I peeked at the receipt and saw a 79-cent charge for a Plain Bag. I had a monumental temper tantrum about the ridiculous cost. As I threatened to sue Dunkin for every donut hole they had, my wife Bonnie grabbed the receipt, read and bellowed over my whining, “That’s not a Plain Bag, idiot; that’s for a Plain Bagel.”

The laughter that filled the car, including my own, lasted all day. When relating the incident that night to his sister, Andrew was literally rolling on the floor and Afro was roaring as well. This young man who mostly learned his English from American TV and sports on TV understood the nuance and the comedy.

In 2011, we made our way back to Italy to see our beloved Inter play soccer at Milan’s Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. Afro was our guide from Lake Como to Parma for 9 days that couldn’t have been better.

Afro came to Aberdeen in late September. That we went to two Mets-Marlins games should be of no surprise. He went to his first college football game and even three lightning delays in the Ball State at Florida Atlantic contest didn’t sap his enthusiasm for the event. We also went to a Park Vista High School football game, where the highlight wasn’t the dramatic victory for the home side against Atlantic but the amazing halftime performance by the Park Vista Performers. Afro and I urge you to go out to a Friday night game to see the wonderful band, dancers and cheerleaders.

The athletic highlight of his visit belongs to my Bermuda Isle neighbor/Marshall Williams, who invited us to go bowling in Greenacres. Afro, in his second bowling experience, and I watched in awe as Marshall strung together 12 strikes from the middle of the first game to the middle of the second. A virtual 300 game! What Afro couldn’t understand on the way home, and I don’t think it was trouble with his English, was why Marsh insisted he needed a new bowling ball an hour after that magnificent feat.

Afro loved Aberdeen and South Florida and best of all, we did some online research and discovered that as an NAV software programmer he could earn enough money to move here with his girlfriend fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming an American.

It was sad to take the young man, who I think of as my Italian son, to the airport after 12 wonderful days. But the three of us will be together again soon. Just before Christmas, Andrew and I are flying to Florence, where Afro will pick us up and we’ll head immediately to a Fiorentina-Napoli soccer game. Then we’ll spend Christmas Eve Mass, Christmas Day and a few days at Afro’s 90-year-old grandfather’s apartment, his father’s butcher shop and his mother’s restaurant in or near the tiny town of Baragazza, in the hills of Tuscany midway between Florence and Bologna.

I can’t wait to meet them, learn more about Afro and pray to the sports gods for what they’ve given me.

What causes a company’s stock price to rise? Although there are several factors, one of the most important is revenue and income growth. For a company’s shares to rise in value, it must continually sell more goods and/or services. In other words, revenue must increase. Revenue is the total amount of money received by a company for goods sold and/or services provided for a specific time period. Companies listed on the US. stock exchange are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to re-port quarterly and annual earnings. If a company’s revenue increases from one quarter to the next, this is viewed positively by investors and will most likely be reflected in a higher stock price.

What is troubling in the current economic environment is that stock prices are increasing as revenue and earnings decline. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) (8/16/16, C4) reported that the earnings of companies in the S&P 500 have been falling for the last eighteen months. This trend is likely to continue. Ac-cording to the WSJ (9/3/16) “Third-quarter profits … are projected to contract by 2.1%.”

There are several factors that suggest revenue for many companies will not rise in the coming quarter. First, government reports note a decrease in inventory investment. In other words, companies are not building up inventories to the same extent as in previous quarters. Companies reduce inventory lev-els when consumers are not expected to buy at past levels. This reduction is true not only in the manufacturing sector but in the housing sector as well. Less inventory available to purchase results in a decrease in the number of items sold resulting in lower revenue and net income.

A second factor that could adversely affect stocks is the current political situation. The market does not like uncertainty. As the elections approach and there is a greater distinction between the economic plans of the candidates, the ambiguity of the results could affect the stock market.

And yet, stock prices are hitting new highs. A WSJ article (8/15/16) suggests the market is overvalued. According to one long -term valuation indicator, the price/earnings ratio of companies in the S&P 500 index stands at 27.1. This is well above its long-term average of about 16.

So what is driving up the market? It has been suggested that investors seeking higher yields are mov-ing their money from lower-yielding investments (e.g. bonds, CDs) into the stock market. This factor could explain the highly volatile week of Sept. 12. Indications that the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates at its September meeting caused a triple-digit stock decline. The following day when a Fed member suggested rates would stay the same, the market rose nearly erasing the loss of the prior day.

Why does a rise in interest rates significantly and negatively affect the stock market? If bond yields rise many investors will sell their stock holdings to buy bonds, putting downward pressure on share price. Bonds are less risky than stocks and therefore preferred by risk-averse investors.

According to the WSJ, the projection that consumer spending would grow and the market would be stronger in the second half of the year also sent stocks soaring. However, the most recent WSJ projection is that real consumption growth for the third quarter will come in around 2.7%, down sharply from the second quarter’s 4.3% rate.

What should an investor do in these uncertain times? Like most investors, I only know 2 things with any certainty: The market will go up and the market will go down. No one can predict what will happen with stocks. However, whatever action you take should be based on sound reasoning and research.

BEEN RIPPED OFF? SCAMMED? NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE? We may have a solution for you.

We are Seniors vs. Crime, a Special Project of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Our mission is to assist in resolving cases committed against the elderly.

No case or matter is too large or too small “Don’t feel embarrassed or guilty.”

We are a FREE service and invite you to call or stop in to discuss your problem. All cases are kept strictly confidential.

Our office is located in the Kings Point Professional Building just south of Atlantic on the west side: 15127 Jog Road, Delray Beach, Fl. 33446 Tel: 561-865-1571 Fax: 561-865-1572

We are here to help you 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday through Friday.

We can alert and educate you about Consumer Fraud, Con Games, Scams and other criminal acts that target seniors. Our Speakers Bureau will be happy to send a representative to a group meeting to discuss crime prevention. Please call to arrange a time and date.

HELPFUL HINTS
1. If you are a victim of Identity Theft:
A. File a police report. Be sure to keep a copy
B. Report the ID Theft to the 3 major credit agencies
Equifax 800-525-6285
Experian 888-397-3742
TransUnion 800-680-7289
C. Report the ID Theft to you local Postmaster
D. Be prepared to cancel all credit cards
E. Obtain a copy of the 3 agency credit reports to review and correct
F. Call the FTC’s ID Theft Hotline at 877-438-4338 or file for an FTC Identity Theft Affidavit at www.ftc.gov/complaint

2. To obtain a free copy of your credit report go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228
3. To place a FRAUD ALERT on your credit agency reports, call any one of the 3 agencies noted above. By putting a Fraud Alert on your account, each agency will also provide you with access to a free copy of your credit report. The Fraud Alert lasts for 90 days (7 years if a fraud victim) and can be renewed.
4. Check privacy options at www.ftc.gov/privacy/protect.htm
5. To Opt Out of receiving offers for pre-approved credit cards, go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888- 5OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
6. To check an investment broker’s status go to www.finra.org/brokercheck or 800-289-9999
7. To check a broker’s license or if an investment is registered go to SaveAndInvest.org or call 888-295- 7422
8. To visit the website of the Florida Department of Financial Regulation go to www.FLOFR.com
9. To test how well you protect yourself take a quiz about yourself at www.idsafetv.net/guiz,oho
10. www.freshfromflorida.com has an A to Z Resource Guide on hundreds of topics. MyFloridaCFO.com/OnGuard provides educational help about financial and insurance issues

By: Mickey Gussow (Waterford)

At 9:40 PM on the night of Feb. 15, 1898, the American battleship USS MAINE exploded and sank quickly in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. The sunken ship was standing upright on the bottom. Its stern superstructure was above the water with the mainmast nearly vertical; amidships was a twisted wreck; and the forward part, about one third of the ship’s length, was completely below the water.

There were 2 possible explanations for the disaster: the ship had been sunk by an accident or by a de-liberate act. If it were an accident, the commanding officer CaptainSigsbee had to explain how it occurred on board since he was responsible for the safety of the ship. If it were a deliberate act performed by the crew, Sigsbee was still responsible. However, if the act had been carried out by the Spanish authorities in Cuba, by dissident Spaniards acting against their government, or by Cuban insurgents, Spain then was at fault because she was responsible for the safety of the ship in the harbor provided the ship obeyed port regulations.

If the explosion originated inside the ship, then the sinking was probably accidental and Spain was guiltless. If the explosion originated outside the ship, then it probably was deliberate and Spain was to blame. Given the strained relations between the U.S. and Spain, determining the cause of the disaster was a very serious matter.

Politics became rampant as to what sunk the MAINE. The Spanish Minister of Colonies cabled “…it would be advisable for Your Excellency to gather every fact you can to prove the MAINE catas-trophe cannot be attributed to us.” Captain Sigsbee cabled Secretary of the Navy, John Long: “Probably the MAINE destroyed by mine, perhaps by acci-dent. I surmise that the berth [moored to a buoy] was planned previous to her arrival, perhaps long ago. I can only surmise this.”

In Washington, people were taking positions even when there were no technical facts upon which to base a conclusion. Some who felt the U.S. should stay out of Cuba were certain that the MAINE was destroyed by an accidental explosion. Their view was that the Spanish did not have an opportunity to sink the ship. And others who believed the U.S. should intervene were convinced that the Spanish had destroyed the ship. They were confident that adequate precautions were taken by the Navy to make an accident impossible. With no knowledge of technology, Secretary Long was inclined that the cause was an accident because he viewed that a modern warship with explosives was liable to sudden destruction.

Popular opinion was fanned by inflammatory articles blaming Spain printed in the “Yellow Press” by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. The phrase, “Remember the MAINE, to Hell with Spain,” became the rallying cry for action. Yellow Press is considered unprofessional journalism by presenting little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead using eye-catching, sensational headlines to sell more newspapers.

The sinking of the MAINE was the dominant topic of discussion in the Navy bureaus. Possibility of an accident seemed to have the most adherents. Lieutenant Frank Fletcher on duty at the Bureau of Ordnance wrote that “…Everybody is gradually set-tling down to the belief that the disaster was due to the position of the [ammunition] magazines next to the coal bunker in which there must have been spon-taneous combustion.” Engineer-in-Chief George Melville suspected a magazine explosion.

Phillip Alger, the Navy’s leading ordnance expert, in an interview published in the Washington Evening Star on Feb., said: “When it comes to seeking the cause of the explosions of the MAINE’s magazine, …the most common cause of these is through fire in the bunkers…I shall again emphasize the fact that no torpedo to our knowledge can produce an explosion of a magazine within.” He also pointed out that a fire on board the CINCINNATI’s coal bunker actually set fire to the fittings and wooden boxes within her magazine. He predicted that if the fire had not been discovered in time, the result would have been an explosion similar to one on the MAINE.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, was upset. He was convinced that there had been no accident. Roosevelt, therefore, considered Alger’s comments very disturbing because he was taking the “Spanish side.”

Roosevelt was concerned that such views would weaken the Navy’s standing before Congress. He was shocked to hear some Republican congressional leaders state that the MAINE disaster demonstrated the U.S. must stop building battleships. Roosevelt argued that the advanced naval powers also had accidents and that the loss was the price the U.S. paid in its role as a great naval power.

Note: Primary reference is HOW THE BATTLE-SHIP MAINE WAS DESTROYED by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, 1976.

[wptab name=’Questions’]1. Which of the Wright brothers flew their plane based on the toss of a 50-cent piece?

2. Who was the 1st man to orbit the Earth?

3. Who was the 1st U.S. president to appear on TV while in office

4. What’s the smallest bird in the world?

5. Who said: “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad I’m better”?

6. Who was the Sarong Girl?

7. How many were in attendance at the Last Supper?

8. What’s the basic flavoring of Kahlua

9. What are the 4 railways in Monopoly?

10. What does a horologist measure?[/wptab]

[wptab name=’Answers’]1. Orville

2. Yuri Gagarin

3. Franklin Roosevelt

4. The Hummingbird

5. Mae West

6. Dorothy lamour

7. 13

8. Coffee

9. B&O, Pennsylvania, Reading, Short Line

10. Time[/wptab]

[end_wptabset]

By: Rob Tanenbaum

As my passion and occupation, sports has been a dominant element in my life. Yet the transformation of sports from live entertainment to big business evaporates much of the joy.

Every sport has been affected by dollar signs. Every level of every sport suffers. It’s not just professional sports anymore. College sports are cancerous. International soccer is a shameful example of how money tarnishes athletics. The Olympics are a sham of individual and national cheating and have been since Hitler and Avery Brundage poisoned them in 1936. And high school and youth sports are being corrupted by money as well as overzealous parents looking to produce superstar kids and live off them.

As a fan, I remain seduced by the often-compelling human drama that often evolves. This spring’s Masters golf tournament is an example. I’m still hooked on baseball, European soccer and golf. But I rarely watch basketball, tennis and hockey anymore and I really hope to cast aside football.

My biggest gripe is with baseball. My attitude is that baseball should know better. It’s the team game that led the sports revolution in the 1920s when boxing and horse racing were the major competitions. Baseball gave us the World Series so America could always think it was best. Baseball gave us Jackie Robinson so America could always think it wasn’t racist. Baseball gave us numbers like 56 and 60 and 511 and 714 that became ingrained in Americana and set metrics for our lives well before we knew the word “metrics.”

Now what does baseball give us? Mostly cheaters. Yes, there were cheaters 100 years ago too. The pitchers threw spitballs. The batters altered their bats. The runners sharpened their metal spikes. But those were insider deceptions and the players governed themselves — mostly by pitchers throwing beanballs or an occasional free-for-all fracas on the field.

Today’s cheaters alter their bodies and dishonor the game, its numbers and themselves. And, of course, they could care less. They still get more money each year than most of us see in a lifetime.

The most recent cheater to be unmasked is Dee Gordon. South Florida baseball fans, no matter whom they root for, know him well. He plays second base for the Miami Marlins. We all were so proud of him on the last day of last season when he beat out bad-boy superstar Bryce Harper for the National League batting championship, Yes, Dee, the son of major league pitcher Tom Gordon from Avon Park, FL, which is about two hours away by car, took performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) so that his 170-pound body was strong enough to win a batting title. Then he signed a $50 million contract during the off-season and, having scored the big money, foolishly continued to cheat, thinking he couldn’t get caught.

Gordon, in reality, ain’t so stupid. He’ll be docked a pittance for the standard 80-game suspension. Current major leaguers Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon also signed enormous contracts after being outed as PED-users. When Gordon returns to the Marlins lineup on or after July 28, he’ll be greeted as a hero as were Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, all among the large group of superstar cheaters.

The baseball owners and the union talk a good game about stamping out cheating but, in fact, they condone it, allowing these players in the game and a path to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball also offers a convenient excuse for the players to cheat. Did you realize that baseball squeezes each team’s 162-game schedule into a 183-day date range? And the scheduling also includes many multiple-time-zone road trips without a day off. Man, doesn’t your heart bleed for these entitled brats – especially considering that the average baseball salary today is above $4 million?

This situation of cheating-pays is going to get far worse in sports. In fact, it’s already a disaster in pro football. Who’s going to do something about it? The players and owners? No way. They’re making too much easy money. The government? Well, Congress has stuck its nose in big business sports in the past but just enough so be repelled by the hideous odor and duck into a dark corner.

There’s only one group that can save sports from itself and it’s you and me. Enough fans have to be a Howard Beale and raise the window and shout, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Enough fans have to stop going to games, watching games on cable or buying licensed gear so the money- grabbing Ivy-educated MBAs and lawyers in the Commissioner’s office and the sports networks get the message.

The odds of that happening are greater than me taking PEDs and winning a batting title. Yet, if such a grassroots movement of angry, aware fans was started, I promise you I’d be the first to join. Passion be damned.

Volunteers advocating for Florida’s long-term care residents answer your questions regarding the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents in long-term care facilities.

Sponsored by: Sam Golden, Ronnie Ostrow and Pauline Ogus Aberdeen’s Certified Ombudsman

Q: Who runs the Ombudsman Program?
A: Florida’s Ombudsman Program is administered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. The State Ombudsman is responsible for the overall functioning of the program. He does so through 17 district offices located throughout the state. A District Ombudsman Manager runs each local office. How-ever, the Ombudsman Program relies on volunteers to carry out the program’s mission of advocacy. The Ombudsman Program has over 300 certified volunteer ombudsmen ready and willing to advocate for long-term care residents.

For more information about the Ombudsman Program, visit the program’s website at http://ombudsman.myflorida.com

Q: Can I volunteer with the Ombudsman Program? Are there any prerequisites to become a volunteer ombudsman?
A: ABSOLUTELY! The Ombudsman Program is always seeking volunteers to help advocate for residents! Interested applicants can submit an application, which is found on the program’s website, or by calling 1-888-831-0404.

Although prior professional experience is beneficial, one does not need experience in any particular field to become a volunteer ombudsman. You will receive all the information you need to know about advocating for long-term care residents during your certification training. As a certified ombudsman, you will also have the support of your local district office at any time.

Ms. Stania Rodriquez is the regional manager for Palm Beach Council Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

To ask for an ombudsman’s assistance, learn more about the program, or to become a volunteer ombudsman, toll-free at 1-888-831-0404.

I must confess, I never cared much for brisket, the fatty part of the cow that for centuries Jewish home cooks have embraced for holiday dinners and celebrations.

Still, I knew – well before I became a widow – that in order to win the heart of a potential mate, significant other or lover, I would need to be a brisket-making maven. But, I wondered, where did this written-in-stone tradition come from? Especially since (these days) we are well aware that eating too much artery-clogging cholesterol should be off limits for any potential partner beyond a certain age.

According to legend, the tradition comes from the Eastern European “shtetls.” When a widow learned that a man in her town had lost his wife, she’d swiftly go to her stove to cook up a pot of care and concern. You could compare this activity to a fisherman who tosses his rod into the waters with the hope that he will reel in a big fluke or tuna.

The difference, however, between the fisherman and the widow who cooks a brisket, is that a fisherman can afford to be patient. But unlike the fisherman-who can sit and wait – speed is of the essence if the widow wants to beat out her competition. Even back during “shtetl” days, the ratio of widowed women to men was way out of balance. And today it’s even worse. In fact, a recent US census, reported that of the 13 million widowed-folk over the age of 65 – 11 million are women.

But why a brisket? Well, back in the olden days, when meat was scarce and expensive, bringing a brisket to the grieving widower meant that, when it came to his well-being, no expense had been spared. The money the widow spent on the meat was kind of like an investment we’d make in today’s world. It’s like the once-safe bet of purchasing a tax-free interest-bearing bond. It’s an even better idea, some would say, to invest in our children’s education with hopes that they will (and will be financially able to) take care of us in our old age.

While I now understand where this brisket-roasting tradition came from, I needed to know why the custom is so often referred to as the “Brisket Brigade.” I think I finally found the answer. One day, as I sunbathed in my backyard, a swarm of ants came crawling to feast on the crumbs I’d dropped on the patio from my oversized Dunkin’ Donuts muffin. They marched swiftly-methodically in lockstep formation – and knew exactly what they were doing. They were organized and determined, much like well-drilled soldiers who were out for the kill. These little guys knew (like the savvy widows of today) that the first in line had the best chance of beating out the others.

But these days, just bringing a widower a cooked brisket might not be enough to defeat the competition. You need an edge. A friend of mine who is a widower, told me recently that along with the directions about how to reheat his meal in a microwave, one widow had added her phone number along with a picture of herself that had (obviously) been taken decades earlier.

Since I don’t like making brisket (never did – never will), I guess I need to find another way to make my mark on a man. I could bake a batch of my marvelous nut-studded Jewish cookies called “mandelbread” (but, for the men who wear dentures, I would leave out the nuts).

If neither my cooking nor baking skills would fit the bill, I guess I will have to depend on my good looks, warmth, charm, wit, charismatic and fun-loving personality – to hopefully – win the heart of a very special man.

1. A leap second was added to the world’s clocks on June 30. The Earth takes 0.002 seconds longer than 24 hours to make a full rotation, so an extra second is added every few years to keep real-world clocks in sync with atomic clocks.

2. A wannabe thief chose the wrong victim when he snatched Serena Williams’ phone from a San Francisco restaurant-only to be chased down by the tennis superstar in the street. “He began to run but I was too fast,” she reported. On her return to the restaurant, she got a standing ovation.

3. Scottish-born Rabbi Mendel Jacobs unveiled the first kosher Jewish tartan registered with Scottish authorities. The plaid, made without linen to avoid rabbinic prohibitions on mixed garments, is made up of colors from the Israeli and Scottish flags.

4. Beginning on Sun., Apr. 10, the price of a first class stamp drops 2 cents, to 47 cents. The reduction is the result of an expiring surcharge that had been put in place in Jan. 2014 to help the Postal Service recoup $4.6 billion in losses dating to the Great Recession.

5. The U.S. now has the 2nd highest number of Spanish speakers in the world. There are nearly 53 million Spanish speakers in this country, putting it ahead of Columbia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and 2nd only to Mexico (121 million).

6. Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers, ended his Gear career on Wed. night, Apr.13, 2016. In his final appearance on the court, he scored 60 points.

7. A Japanese maglev bullet train has broken the all-time speed record for rail vehicles, hitting 366 mph on a test track. By comparison, the fastest train operating in the U.S. is Amtrak’s Acela, which tops out at 150 mph and averages 68 mph on its Washington-to-Boston run.

8. French homeowners, in France’s Toulouse region, thought they’d fix their leaky roof which led to an amazing discovery. A painting, believed to be the work of Italian master Caravaggio, was found in a sealed off part of the attic. If authenticated, the painting worth could be estimated at $136 million.

9. Franchising isn’t cheap. It costs as much as$263,000 to open a Subway franchise, plus a $15,000 franchise fee. Taco Bell, which plans to open 2,000 new franchises by 2023, requires anywhere from $1.2 million to $2.5 million in total investment to get started.

10. Americans spent $70 billion playing lottery games in 43 states. At an average of $300 per adult, that’s more than was spent in all 50 states on sports tickets, books, video games, movie tickets and recorded music combined.