The Washington Post - USA (2020-09-14

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 , 2020. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE C3

Drop,” and, of course, “Funky

Kingston,” a song that still feels as

hot, bright and alive as sunrise in

July. From verse to chorus, Hib-

bert aptly positions himself as

reggae’s planetary emissary:

“Music is what I’ve got to give,

and I’ve got to find some way to

make it... Funky Kingston is

what I’ve got for you.”

Even if you have never laid eyes

on the Jamaican capital, squint

your ears and you should be able

to see the entire city come alive

inside this song. More than a

mere ode or anthem, it stands as

an astonishing example of how

music — an intangible fluctua-

tion of air — can stand in for

people, places, things: existence

in its material forms.

[email protected]

1968, Hibbert sang in the voice of
a crooked police officer: “Get your
hands in the air, sir, and you will
get no hurt, mister.” On the lyric
sheet, that anonymous “sir/mis-
ter” is casually being denied his
humanity, and the steely dignity
in the singer’s voice refuses to let
us ignore it.
Hibbert’s voice spread across
the planet in 1975 when two Toots
and the Maytals albums — 1973’s
“Funky Kingston” and 1974’s “In
the Dark” — were cut-and-pasted
into a new disc, also titled “Funky
Kingston,” that featured some of
the group’s most potent mo-
ments: the uncompromising opti-
mism of “Time Tough,” the hard-
earned catharsis of “Pressure

TOOTS FROM C1

Hibbert’s voice and soul

helped elevate reggae

ANDREW PUTLER/GETTY IMAGES

Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals performs in London in 1 976.

birthday lunch to get her out of

the house.

I spent two days shopping for

food, preparing it, setting a pretty

table, arranging flowers and

buying her a gift. After lunch, she

left in a hurry, telling me that her

drywall guy just texted her to see

if he could come over now to do

work.

I have not heard from her since

that date. No thank-you text. No

thank-you card. No phone call.

I’m offended and hurt by her

actions. Am I overreacting?

No.

New Miss Manners columns are

posted Monday through Saturday on

washingtonpost.com/advice. You can

send questions to Miss Manners at

her website, missmanners.com. You

can also follow her

@RealMissManners.

© 2 020, by Judith Martin

unwanted hugging.

You can now say sweetly, as

you hastily back away, “I think

we’d better maintain social

distancing. I certainly wouldn’t

want to endanger you.” For that

matter, you don’t need the virus

to do this, as if alluding to some

ordinary indisposition.

Miss Manners has been hoping

that the pandemic has taught all

kinds of people who go in for

unwanted touching to keep their

hands to themselves. Hugs should

not be some sort of benefit that

the arrogant can bestow on the

unwilling, but a matter of mutual

consent, if not mutual affection.

Dear Miss Manners: I hosted a

lunch for a dear friend of mine to

celebrate her birthday. Both of us

have been isolating ourselves and

she had been feeling depressed,

so I invited her to my home for a

force themselves upon others in

this manner? I finally had enough

at a family event when she

walked up to where I was seated,

announced she was leaving and

demanded I stand and hug her. I

told her in front of the whole

family that I do not like to hug

and that she shouldn’t demand

hugs.

Now she is quite offended and

makes many angry passive-

aggressive comments.

Certainly it cannot be polite to

demand hugs, can it? Is this really

a social convention I must accept?

My friends and I do not hug, nor

do I hug my sisters, though I love

them dearly. Is this a generational

thing? I am so uncomfortable

now that I don’t know what to do.

You are in luck. It is not often one

can say something positive in

regard to the pandemic, but it

certainly has cut down on

Dear Miss

Manners: I enjoy

personal space

and do not like

being touched,

other than by my

husband. I am a

friendly, outgoing

person who simply

doesn’t like to hug.

It shouldn’t be a big deal,

except to my mother-in-law, it is.

She insists on hugging me upon

her arrival and departure — of

every visit. Her boyfriend does

the same to me.

I dread it. I try to avoid it, then

submit to it stiffly. This has gone

on for 10 years. I have told her I

don’t like to hug. She says, “Well, I

do!” and hugs me. At the end of

her visits, I walk them politely to

the door and say “bye,” but it just

isn’t enough for her.

Why do people feel the need to

A pandemic perk? Avoiding unwanted hugs.

Miss

Manners

JUDITH

MARTIN,

NICHOLAS

MARTIN AND

JACOBINA

MARTIN

remove any leftover residue.

Dear Heloise: I found a really

nice cedar chest at a garage sale,

but it has a strong mothball

odor. Is there anything I can do

to remove the smell?

— Chris via email

Chris: What a great find! The

first thing to try is fresh air and

sunshine. If you can, open it up

and let it sit outside for a few

days. If that hasn’t completely

removed the mothball odor,

lightly sand the interior with a

fine-grade sandpaper to release

the fresh cedar scent. Vacuum

with the brush attachment, then

wipe with a microfiber cloth to

remove any remaining dust.

Heloise’s column appears six days a

week at washingtonpost.com/advice.

Send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box

795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-

5000 , or email it to

[email protected].

© 2020, King Features Syndicate

only what an item is worth after

depreciation. A “replacement”

policy covers whatever the cost

is to replace an item at today’s

prices. Some insurance

companies will offer “off-

premises” coverage for items

such as a lost cellphone. I

recommend checking into

renter’s insurance with the same

company that insures your car.

Dear Heloise: I need your help

on how to remove black

permanent marker from glass. I

have tried many kinds of

cleaners, but nothing has

removed the black.

— Long time reader in

California

Long time reader in California:

The best way to remove

permanent marker stains from

glass is with rubbing alcohol.

First, dip a sponge or cloth in the

alcohol and dab it directly on the

stain, then scrub the stained

area. Use a clean paper towel to

for old wine racks:

l Roll up place mats and store

in the slots.

l Use to store small stuffed

toys for children.

l Store water bottles.

l Lay flat, with openings

facing upward, to store kitchen

condiments.

Dear Heloise: My parents want

me to get renter’s insurance now

that I live in an apartment. I

graduated from college and now

have my first job. It doesn’t pay

as well as I’d like, but it’s a start

in the field in which I enjoy

working. With money being

tight, why bother with renter’s

insurance?

— Amy H. in California

Amy H. in California: Y our folks

are right. Renter’s insurance is

usually rather inexpensive, and

if you have a fire or are robbed,

the insurance company will

cover your loss. But beware that

a “cash value” policy will pay

Today’s Sound Off

is about scammers

stealing Medicare

numbers:

Dear Heloise: Scammers are

trying to get your Medicare

numbers. How? They’ll contact

you with an offer of free masks

and other covid-19 items by

telling you that you are entitled

to these items as a Medicare

recipient. They want to get their

hands on your personal

information and Medicare

number to use for fraudulent

purposes. Hang up on them the

moment they start their pitch.

— Norman, via email

Readers: To report anything

suspicious or fraudulent to

Medicare, go to medicare.gov/

fraud o r call 800-633-4227.

Protect yourself by never giving

out personal or financial

information over the phone to

these scammers.

Readers: Here are new uses

Beware of scammers o≠ering free virus supplies

Hints from

Heloise

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