Q: Is there a new guideline regarding the procedure to get out of trouble if you get caught in a rip tide?
A: There is. Dr. Jamie MacMahan of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., a student of rip tides, says if you are caught in a rip current, you should try to just relax and float for a while. “It’s a long time – maybe three minutes – you’re generally going to float back to the beach,” he said in one interview. It’s counterintuitive, but 80 to 90% of rips MacMahan has studied flow in huge circles. They flow from the shallows, out through the breakers and back again, every few minutes. People who panic or try to swim against the current are often the ones who drown.
Q: TCM has been running a Marlon Brandon movie festival. Was it recently his birthday? When did he die?
A: Brando was born April 3, 1924, in Nebraska and died July 1, 2004, in Los Angeles, age 80.
People are also reading…
Q: What can you tell me about actress Annelise Basso on Lifetime TV?
A: Basso, 20, is one of three actor siblings. She grew up in Los Angeles and started acting when she was 8.
Q: What is the recipe for the pies used in the “Three Stooges”?
A: We couldn’t find much reliable information on exactly what kind of pies they threw in all those movies. We think they look as if they’re made mostly of whipped cream, or maybe lemon curd and whipped cream.
Q: When driving on Mulberry Street past the courthouse I see the speed bumps are back. It looked like there was a van hung up over top of one. Can you find out if the city will remove them?
A: We assume you are talking about the speed bumps in the courthouse parking lot. The city of Waterloo does not regulate the courthouse parking lot. The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors authorized the installation of the traffic control devices. You would need to ask the supervisors to remove them.
Q: How do we recycle Styrofoam?
A: Styrofoam is only accepted at three sites in Cedar Falls: the main recycling site at East 15th and State streets, the Panther Parkway site and the Greenhill Village site. Styrofoam must be clean and free of all food residue. Tape must be removed. Packing peanuts must be bagged.
Q: What are they building at Idaho and MLK Drive?
A: It’s a Dollar General store.
Q: When University in Waterloo is shut down, will there be any intersections open where you can cross?
A: Yes. The project is being staged to allow crossings at different locations during the reconstruction process. Follow the city’s website or the project Facebook page for the latest changes.
Q: Is ibuprofen considered an opioid?
A: No. Ibuprofen is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Correction
An answer in the Tuesday Call the Courier on the Iowa Court of Appeals judges incorrectly said that most of them live in the Des Moines area. In fact, six of the soon-to-be nine Appeals Court justices live outside the Des Moines area.
