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TIDBITS® BRINGS YOU
UNUSUAL WORDS, Part 1by Kathy Wolfe
This week’s Tidbits is for all the logomaniacs out there — all those people obsessed with fancy words!
day; for example, that little metal band that encircles your pencil eraser is known as a ferrule. A harp is not only a musical instrument, but also the hoop on a lamp that holds the lampshade in place.
consider yourself honored. Expressions of high
don’t want to hear that the boss is going to
to be done away with.
collect? Phillumenists collect matchbook
bottle labels. An entredentolignumologist’s hobby is collecting unique toothpicks. Are you a timbromaniac? That’s just a fancy name for an enthusiastic stamp collector.
the answer. That’s when you use profane or
from those who are nepheligenous. The former hate the smell of tobacco smoke, while the latter produce clouds of the stuff.
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Page 2 Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena!
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The Department of Veterans Affairs recently completed a study to determine the causes of homelessness among veterans as part of its goal to eliminate homelessness by the year 2015.This was no small, casual study. The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspec-tions looked at the data of nearly one-half million veterans through 2010, half of whom had served in the Gulf Wars. It studied existing research and laws, and consulted experts. Here’s what it learned:--Five years after leaving the military, 3.7 percent of veterans became homeless for the first time, with those who were in the Gulf Wars having bigger percentages. --The first homeless experience generally came at the three-year mark, with Gulf veterans becoming
To Your Good Health By Paul G Donohue M.D.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Six months ago, my wife died in her sleep. She said she just felt shaky and tired out around 6 p.m. When I turned on my light at 4 a.m., I immediately knew she had died. I was told she died of congestive heart failure. She told me she had this two months prior to her death. Was there something we could have done? I carry guilt with me every day. Is congestive heart failure a death sentence? -- S.F.
ANSWER: Heart failure indicates that the heart has become a weak pump. “Congestive” often is added to “heart failure” to emphasize that the failing heart causes blood to circulate poorly. Fluid oozes out of vessels and congests body organs, especially the lungs and makes breathing difficult. Congestion also shows in swollen ankles and feet. However, not all people with heart failure show the signs of congestion.Shortness of breath when lying down, waking from sleep gasping for breath, coughing during the night and the inability to get enough air to accomplish even light physical tasks are signs of heart failure. I can assure you that the world’s most renowned heart doctor would not have expected your wife to die in her sleep because she said she felt tired and shaky. You are entitled to feel sad, but you do not deserve to feel guilty.Heart failure comes from heart arteries clogged with cholesterol, from heart valve malfunction, from high blood pressure and from heartbeat disturbances like atrial fibrillation. Treatments are available. Water pills draw water from an overfilled circulation, and that eases the burden on the heart. Other medicines increase the strength of the heartbeat. Special pacemakers can restore synchronous beating to the heart’s out-of-sync pumping chambers. Congestive heart failure is not always a death sentence.My sincerest condolences to you and your family.The booklet on heart failure describes this common condition in greater detail. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 103W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: While trying to get out of the bathtub, I slipped and hit my chest against the side of the tub. My husband took me to the emergency room. X-rays showed two broken ribs.The ER doctor seemed to think this was nothing, but it was truly painful. He gave me a prescription for pain medicine, and that was it. Should some kind of splint be applied? How long does it take rib fractures to heal? -- M.K.
ANSWER: An uncomplicated rib fracture -- one in which the ends of the fracture are in alignment -- can be treated with pain relievers alone. Admittedly, even the small movement of breathing in and out worsens the pain, but your medicine ought to take care of that.Sometimes rib belts are put on patients to keep the fracture ends from moving. Whether they do much good is disputed, and they can be uncomfortable.You can expect your ribs to heal in six weeks.
When Heart Becomes a Feeble Pump
homeless sooner than non-Gulf veterans.--Homeless veterans were more likely to have traumatic brain injury (three times more than non-homeless veterans), be less than 35 years of age, and in a pay grade of E1 to E4.--Half of homeless vets were diagnosed with a mental disorder before discharge, and more than 78 percent were diagnosed with a mental disorder before becoming homeless.--More than half of homeless veterans were get-ting service-connected disability benefits, with 83 percent to 95 percent receiving benefits before first becoming homeless.--Approximately 65 percent were using VA home-less veteran services: health care, the mentally ill program and HUD-VASH housing program.The VAOIG had some recommendations in the study, noting especially the three-year period before most of the homelessness occurs and sug-gesting a need for greater access to mental-health services.The VAOIG pointed out that approximately half of the homeless veterans had disability money com-ing in before they first became homeless. Maybe that should be a focus of any further attempts to lower the number of homeless veterans: discover why they become homeless.
Homeless Vets Study
UNUSUAL WORDS (continued):• It’snocomplimenttobecalledacoof,dizzard,dunderheadorgump.Thesearesynonymsforacompletenumbskull.Likewise,snarge,yazzihamper,cullionandpoltroonallrefertoanutterjerk.• Thiselectionyearwemightseealotofgirouettismfrompoliticians.Thismeanstheymaychangetheirpositiononissuesinordertofollowpopularopinion.It’sinterestingtonotethattheFrenchwordforweathervaneisgirouette,adevice that features a little rooster that goesbackandforth,dependingonthewayofthewinds.Somepoliticiansareexpertsinlolodacity,thepracticeofspitefullycriticizingtheiropponentwithtrueoruntruewords,inotherwords,“hittingbelowthebelt.”Thereverywellmay be some eccedentesiasts during the campaign,thatis,thosewhofakeasmile,especiallyontelevision.• Someofourbodypartshaveprettyunusualnames.Forexample,thegrooveonyourupperlipunderyournoseisknownasacolumellanasi.Thatbonybumponthesideofyourankleiscalledamalleolus,whilethebonytipofyourelbowisyourolecranon.We’veheardofacurlicue,butwhat’sapurlicue?That’sthelittlewebofskinbetweenyourthumbandforefinger.Andhowaboutyourarmpit?It’sofficiallyknownasanoxter.Ladiesoftenplucktheirglabella,thatlittleflatareabetweentheeyebrows.• Whatdoeggs,bacon,oatmealandtoasthaveincommon?They’realljen-tacular,thatis,pertainingtobreakfast.• Doyouknowthedifferencebe-tweeninnocuousandnoxious?Anitemthatisinnocuousisnotinjurioustoyourhealth,whilesomethingthatisnoxiouswillcauseharm.
Until 2011, the Social Security Administration mailed year-ly updates to every person who’d paid into Social Security. Those updates showed the facts and figures that would be used if the recipient applied for benefits, whether for retire-ment or disability.In other words, it was crucial that the information be cor-rect.It’s still crucial, but now the information has to be accessed online at the SSA website.When you go to the online site, you’ll need to create an ac-
count with a password. You’ll be asked for your name, birth date, phone number, mailing address, and yes, your Social Security number.With all the daily cautions not to enter any personal infor-mation on the Internet, many of us are hesitant to type in the most important information of all, our Social Security number. However, there are safeguards that can be taken to ensure that the information is safe. Allsup, Inc. [www.allsupinc.com], a financial-planning group, recommends the following:--Don’t use a public computer. Your Social Security num-ber could be available to the next person who uses that com-puter.--Don’t use Google or any other search engine to find the SSA website. Go directly there by typing in the URL: so-cialsecurity.gov--Don’t tell anyone your password.--If you receive an email that looks like it came from the SSA, and if it asks for personal information, don’t respond.
It’s a scam. The SSA is never going to contact you that way.If you’re leery of using your home computer to put in all that personal information (especially if you have an unse-cured wi-fi connection or if you’re not sure of your virus protection), you can go to any Social Security office and sign up for an account login.Once you have your statement, check it carefully.Since retirement and disability benefits are based on the taxes you paid and the length of time you worked, check Your Earnings Record on the form. Do the numbers match what your W-2s show? If there are any discrepancies at all, contact SSA right away.Look at Your Estimated Benefits. That is what you can expect to receive at different retirement ages or if you need to collect Social Security disability benefits.The SSA will send statements by mail to those who are age 60 and older if they have not applied for benefits, and one time to 25-year-olds.
Your Social Security Updates Move Online
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1. Is the book of Luke in the Old or New Testament or neither?2. The people of Nineveh fasted and did what else do to show they were repenting? Danced, Wore sackcloth, Laughed, Plowed fields3. How many different books of the Old Testament (KJV) are divided into two parts (books)? 2, 3, 4, 54. Of these where do you find the phrase, “God is love”? Genesis, Nehemiah, Hebrews, 1 John5. What Jewish ruler visited Jesus by night? Heze-kiah, Barabbas, Nicodemus, Darius6. How many suicides are recorded in the Bible? 0, 7, 14, 21
Banana-Raspberry Custard Treats
Did you know that the botanical name for bananas is Musa sapientum, which means fruit of the wise men? If you’re a wise person, you’ll stir up this tasty, healthy and easy recipe featuring bananas, which are loaded with potassium and vitamin C.
1 cup (one medium) diced banana1 1/2 cups fresh red raspberries1 (4-serving) package sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder1 2/3 cups water1 teaspoon coconut extract1/4 cup reduced-calorie whipped topping4 teaspoons flaked coconut
1. In a medium bowl, combine diced banana and raspberries. Evenly spoon fruit into 4 parfait or dessert dishes.2. In a medium saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and water. Cook over me-dium heat until mixture thickens and starts to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in co-conut extract. Spoon hot pudding mix evenly over fruit.3. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Top each serv-ing with 1 tablespoon whipped topping and gar-nish with 1 teaspoon coconut flakes. Serves 4.
UNUSUAL WORDS (continued):• Theloqu-rootofmanywordscomesfromtheLatinfor“tospeak.”Thoseonthewitnessstandaresupposedtobeveriloquent,speakingnothingbutthetruth.Thepreacherinthepulpitissanctiloquent,speakingofsacredthings.Apoliticianisoftenflexiloquent—eva-siveandvague.Doyoujabberidiotically?You’rebeingstultiloquent!Likewiseifyou’reinianloquent,you’respeakingfoolishlyandsayingsillythings.Andweallknowpeoplewhoarelongiloquent,inotherwords,remarkablylong-winded.• Listencarefully!The“achoo!”soundofyoursneezeisformallyknownassternutation.Thatfunnynoiseyoumakewhenyouswallowisagwick.Thesoundthatketchupmakeswhileflowingfromthebottleisaglink.Youcanalsorefertothatketchupsoundasablodder.• Yourememberoldwhat’s-his-name,don’tyou?Whatishisnameany-way?Soundslikeyou’resufferingfromlethonomia,thepropensitytoforgetnames.•Amarriagebetweenayoungwomanandanoldermanisknownasalphame-gamia.Ifyouandyourspouseareaboutthesameage,yourunionisisonogamic.• We’veallsuffered,atonetimeoranother,fromlethologica.That’stheinabilitytorecollecttheexactwordforsomething.However,ifyoubecomeobsessedwithtryingtorememberthatword,youhaveloganamnosis.• Beingpancreatichasnothingtodowithyourpancreas.Itmeansyouconsideryourselfproficientinalltypesofsports.Ifthisdescribesyou,you’veprobablyexperiencednikhedonia,thedelight received from envisioning your victory.shipersfrequentlygoawayforthe
• Heliolatersoftenestivateinordertoapricate.Translation,please!Sun-wor-summer in order to do a lot of sunbath-ing.• Somefolksareautotonsorialists,meaningtheycuttheirownhair,whileothers go to the chirotonsor, another wordforbarber.Everfeellikejusttear-ingyourhairout?Weallhaveonocca-sion,butthosewithacompulsiontodososufferfromtrichotillomania.• Tasksthataresclerotic,recon-dite, scabrous, onerous, arduous or vicissitudinousarejustplaindifficult!• Planninganelephantrideinthefuture?Don’tforgetyourhowdah,thatlittleridingseatthatfitsonthebackofapachyderm.Howaboutarideinamont-golfier?That’safancytitleforahotairballoon.Aballoonthatusesbothgasandhotairiscalledarosiere.• Ifyou’rewearingapauldron,ron-del, rerebrace, couter, tasset, vambrace, poleyn,greave,solleret,gauntlet,cuirie,mailgussetandoculariumsight,you’reoutfittedinasuitofarmor.Oh,anddon’tforgettobringyourpavise—yourshield! • Avomitorysoundslikeaplaceyou’dgoifyouwerenauseated,butit’sactually a corridor in a large stadium leadingtothegrandstands.• Apersonwhoengagesinabliguri-tionisspendingexcessiveamountsofmoneyonfoodanddrink.However,theonewhoskipsoutoftherestaurantwith-outpayinghisbillisswedging.• Mathematicianswillknowthatazenzizenzizenzic number is one that is raisedtotheeighthpower.•$and%and@aregrammalogues,thatis,symbolsthatdenoteaword—$for“dollars,”%for“percent”and@for“at.”
Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena! Page 4
Mark Deklin, who plays Blake Reilly, echoed Eric’s senti-ments, telling me: “What’s really touched me the most is the way the fans have embraced Blake and Cricket. The outpouring of love and loyalty across all the social media has been astounding. So my gratitude to the fans is huge, as is my admiration and affection for my colleagues. On the night we got the news that we weren’t being renewed for a second season, I got a text from Miriam (Shor, who plays Cricket) that said, ‘I will miss you most of all, Scarecrow.’ If there was a moment in which I got a little choked up, it was probably the moment when I read that text. I’ve become incredibly fond of the Caruth-Reillys.”
Q: Can you tell me if my favorite show, “Harry’s Law,” will return next season? -- Laurie B., Canton, Mich.A: This is the part of my job that I hate: Telling good readers like you when a network has canceled their favorite show. “Harry’s Law” really struggled with ratings its second season -- my guess is fans didn’t/couldn’t keep up with all the day and time changes that NBC kept dealing it.
1. INVENTIONS: Who developed the process of pasteurization?2. FOOD & DRINK: What is the liquor cassis made from?3. POP CULTURE: When was the Pillsbury Doughboy introduced in TV ads?4. ASTRONOMY: What is a “maria”?5. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of South Dakota?6. LITERATURE: The 2004 movie “Christmas with the Kranks” was based on which novel?7. MOVIES: Who was the first black man to win an Oscar?8. ROYALTY: What is Prince Andrew’s official title?9. SPORTS PERSONALITIES: What was the boxing champion Muhammad Ali’s original name? 10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What kind of dog did President Bill Clinton and his family have?
A: I’m not sure if we can save the show -- if you read my column regularly, then you know I LOVE this show! -- but we sure can try. First, there is a website set up where you can sign a petition: SaveGCB.com. I spoke with two of the series stars about its cancelation, and they are just as sad as we are. Eric Winter, who plays Luke Lourd, told me that “GCB” deserved to be
saved because “the ‘GCB’ fans are the real deal. They’re passion-ate and they love their show. This is an extremely creative and smart show that just needs more of a chance to take off and run.”
Q: I’ve been hearing about the new “Dallas,” but haven’t been able to find it on the schedule. Please tell me the show wasn’t scrapped before it even aired! -- Cara D., via e-mailA: Don’t you worry: “Dallas” returns to TV for 10 episodes on TNT beginning Wednesday, June 13, at 9/8c with a two-hour season premiere. You’re not the only one who’s excited. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the new genera-tion of Ewings has in store for us -- and Larry Hagman as J.R. will be up to no good, for sure. Q: I was dismayed to read that “GCB” wasn’t renewed for a second season! Is there anything we can do to save this show? -- Vivian D., via e-mail
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822-3600¥ On June 11, 1509, King Henry VIII of England mar-ries Catherine of Aragon, the first of six wives he will have in his lifetime. When Catherine failed to produce a male heir, Henry divorced her against the will of the Roman Catholic Church.
¥ On June 15, 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper, born a slave in Thomasville, Ga., in 1856, becomes the first black cadet to graduate from the United States Mili-tary Academy at West Point, N.Y. Flipper was never spoken to by a white cadet during his four years at West Point.
¥ On June 16, 1884, the first roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Known as a switchback railway, it traveled approximately 6 mph and cost a nickel to ride.
¥ On June 12, 1942, Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, receives a diary for her 13th birthday. A month later, she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis in rooms behind her father’s of-fice. Anne’s diary, detailing their two years in hiding, was published in 1947.
¥ On June 14, 1951, the U.S. Census Bureau dedicates UNIVAC, the world’s first commercially produced electronic digital computer. UNIVAC, which stood for Universal Automatic Computer, used thousands of vacuum tubes for computation and was the forerunner of today’s digital computer.
¥ On June 13, 1966, the Supreme Court hands down its decision in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their rights before interrogation. The roots of the Mi-randa decision go back to 1963 when Ernesto Miranda confessed to a crime and later recanted, unaware that he didn’t have to say anything at all.
¥ On June 17, 1972, five of President Richard Nixon’s re-election employees are arrested for burglary in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. An inves-tigation unveiled a scheme of political sabotage and espionage designed to discredit Democratic candi-dates. Equipment used during the burglary had been borrowed from the CIA.
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Postal Service to call attention to preventing dog bites. Here are some tips:--Never leave a baby or a small child alone with a dog, even the family pet.--Teach children not to approach strange dogs, run up to dogs to hug them or try to pet them through a fence.--Always ask permission of a dog’s owner before petting the dog. You should pet the dog first before letting your child pet the dog.--Learn the right way to approach and pet a dog, including your own dog. It should first be able to see you and sniff you. If the dog tenses, bristles, growls or backs away, back off.--Do not approach tethered or confined dogs, sleeping dogs or mothers taking care of puppies.--If you’re passing a dog, whether on or off a leash, walk steadily and calmly past, without making direct eye contact. Never run.
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My dog, “Andie,” is a pretty laid-back border collie, well-socialized to other dogs and people. However, I am dismayed when a child runs up to her or another strange dog to pet or hug her. Andie tolerates these “surprise hugs” well, but other dogs may not be so well-trained. Can you please remind your readers about the right way to approach a strange dog? -- Carol J., Pittsburgh
DEAR CAROL: You got it! Approaching a dog, even a dog you know, should be done with caution and respect. Parents need to teach their children how to behave around dogs. More than half of the 4.7 million Americans bitten by dogs last year were children.The American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org) and Prevent the Bite (preventthebite.org) have joined the U.S.
Preventing Dog Attacks
By Samantha Mazzotta
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FAMOUSLANDMARKSOFTHEWORLD:HOOVERDAM
Stretching across the Colorado River on theborderbetweenArizonaandNevadatowersthemagnificentHooverDam,providingpowertoresidentsofNevada,ArizonaandCalifornia.FollowalongandlearnmoreaboutthisEighthWonderoftheModernWorld.• ConstructiononthedambeganinthemidstoftheGreatDepressionin1931,atasiteabout25miles(40km)southeastofLasVegas.ThefirststepwastodiverttheroaringColoradoRiverawayfromtheconstructionsite.Tunnelsaslargeasfour-lanehighwayswereblast-edthroughthewallsofBlackCanyon,divertingthewaterandenablingworkerstoworkinthecanyonbottom.• About3.25millioncubicyardsofconcretewereusedintheconstruction,morethan5millionbarrels.Between7,500and10,800barrelswererequireddaily.ThefirstconcretewaspouredinJune of 1933, and every month, about 160,000cubicyardsofconcretewerenecessaryuntilthecementworkwrappedupinMay1935.Thisallcontributedtothefinalweightofthedam—over6.6milliontons!Theamountofconcretecontainedinthedamandpowerplantwouldpavea16-foot-wide(4.9-m)high-wayfromSanFranciscotoNewYorkCityora4-foot-wide(1.2-m)sidewalkaroundtheEarthattheequator.Thedamisasthickatitsbaseastwofootballfieldslaidend-to-end—660feet(201m).• Anaverageof3,500workerslaboredontheprojectdaily,withtheall-timehighof5,218workersoneday.Sevenyearswereallottedforthecon-struction,buttheprojectwascompletedinjustunderfive,atacostof$165mil-lion.
Some of us with high blood pressure have adjusted our diets and medications to bring it under control -- to no avail. Chances are those of us who still struggle with hypertension inherited the condition. Or perhaps we don’t have it yet but seem destined to by family medical history. Having just one parent with high blood pressure dramatically increases the odds of being hypertensive.
Genes are tough to beat. But there might be an answer.
A study in the May issue of the journal Hypertension showed that merely walking 150 minutes per week (30 minutes a day for five days) can lower the risk in people who are genetically likely to get high blood pressure.
Researchers tracked more than 6,000 people in different categories: those who had one parent with high blood pressure, those who were not physically fit and those who were very fit.
The result: Those with high levels of physical fitness had a 42 percent lower risk, and the moderately fit had a 26 percent lower risk. To further show how exercise impacted the results, those who were very fit, even having a family predisposition, had an increased risk of only 16 percent.
On the other end of the extreme, those who had a family history and a lower level of physical fitness had a whopping 70 percent higher risk. That’s a double whammy.
The results are clear: Even if a parent has high blood pressure, you can lower the chance that you’ll have high blood pressure by exercising. The better your level of fitness, the more you can decrease your odds. The benefits are potentially huge.
Lowering the Risk of Hypertension
• Althoughitwasfinishedlongbeforethedeadline,itcertainlywasn’twithoutitspitfalls.Overaone-monthperiodintheexceptionallyhotsummerof1931,daytimehightemperaturesaveragednearly120°F(49°C),result-inginthedeathsof16workers.Thefinaldeathtotalfortheentireprojectwas112.• ThefirstpersontoperishontheHooverDamprojectwasasurveyornamedJ.G.Tierney,whodrownedwhilescopingouttheidealsite,nineyearsbeforethegroundbreaking.Ironically,Tierney’ssonPatrickwasthelasttodie,perishingexactly13yearstothedaylater,whileworkingonthedam’sconstruction.• Atthetimeofitscompletionin1936,HooverDamwasthelargestintheworld.Standing726feettall(221m), it is nearly 200 feet (61 m) taller thantheWashingtonMonument.ItnowranksasthesecondtallestdaminthenationbehindCalifornia’sOrofinoDamandisthe18thhighestintheworld.Ithosts more than a million visitors each year.• LakeMead,America’slargestreservoir,wasformedbythewateraccumulatedbyHooverDam.Itextends112miles(180km)behindthedamand is a favorite recreation area for visitorsinterestedinfishing,waterski-ing,boatingandswimmingnearsandybeaches.Severalcommunitieswereevacuated to create the reservoir and their remains sit at the bottom of this bodyofwater.Alsorestingatthebot-tomofthelakeisaB-29Superfortressthatcrashedtherein1948.•HooverDam’sgeneratorsprovideaboutfourbillionkilowatthoursofhydroelectricpowereachyearforpublicandprivateutilitiesserving1.3millionpeople.Thewaterrunningthrough the generators is enough to fill 1520,000-gallonswimmingpoolseverysecond.
Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena! Page 6
•JuliaChilddidn’thaveaspirationsofbe-comingafamouschef.AftergraduatingfromSmithCollege,shebecameacopy-righterintheadvertisingdepartmentofahomefurnishingsfirm,followedbysever-almoreyearswritingforpublicationsandworkinginadvertising.DuringWorldWarII,the6-foot,2-inch(1.88m)Juliawasclassified too tall to enlist in the WACS orWAVESandwenttoworkasatypistattheOSS,thepredecessortotheCIA.Beforelong,shewasdoingtopsecretresearchintheSecretIntelligenceDivi-sion.Afterthewar,shemarriedafellowOSSemployeePaulChild,whointroducedJuliatofinecuisine.WhenPaul’sjobtookthecoupletoParis,Juliaandtwofriendsbeganteachingcooking,whiledevelopingacookbook.The734-page“MasteringtheArtofFrenchCooking”wasreleasedin1961andquicklybecameabestseller,onestillinprinttoday.Twentymoretitlesfollowed.Shedebutedontelevisionin1963with“TheFrenchChef,”earn-ingthefirst-everEmmyAwardforaneducationalprogram.ThecoverofTimemagazine featured her in 1966, dubbing her“OurLadyoftheLadle.”•Scottish-bornGordonRamsayisfa-mousforhishottemperandcoarselanguageonthetelevisionseries“Hell’sKitchen.”Buthisabilitiesasachefaretop-notch,withhisLondonrestaurantvotedasthatcity’sbestforeightyearsstraight.Hehasalsoauthored21books.• Austrian-bornchefWolfgangPucklearnedtocookfromhispastrychef
mother.AfterimmigratingtoAmericaatage25,heworkedasacheffortwoyearsinIndianapolisbeforemakingthemovetoLosAngeles.Hepublishedhisfirstcookbookatage33.Puck’sfirstSpagorestau-rantopenedontheSunsetStripthefol-lowingyear.Henowhas19restaurants.TheBeverlyHillsSpagohasbeenonthelistoftheTop40restaurantsintheUnitedStatessince2004.Puckcitesmacaroonsashisabsolutefavoritefood.Hadhenotchosenhiscurrentprofession,hesayshewouldhavelikedtohavebeenanartist.•RachaelRaydidn’tgethercookingedu-cation at a culinary institute; in fact, she herselfstates,“Ihavenoformalanything.I’mcompletelyunqualifiedforanyjobI’veeverhad.”Perhapsithelpedthatherfamilyownedfourrestaurants.Ray’sfirstjobwasatMacy’scandycounter,andshemoveduptothefreshfoodsdepartment.Her“30-MinuteMeal”simplerecipesap-pealtobusyconsumerseverywhere.Rayinsistssheisnotagoodbaker,becauseitcallsformeasuredingredients,whilesheprefersapproximatingamounts,suchas“halfapalmful.”• ChefEmerilLagasse,ownerof12restaurants and author of 15 best-selling cookbooks,specializesinCajun,CreoleandPortuguesecooking.Helearnedbreadandpastrybakingasateenager,work-inginaPortuguesebakeryinhisMas-sachusettshometown.AlthoughEmerilwasofferedafullscholarshipatamusicconservatory, he chose a culinary univer-sity,travelingtoParisfollowinggradua-tiontopracticehistrade.SettlinginNewOrleans,hepurchasedthefamousDelmo-nicoRestaurant,oneofAmerica’soldestrestaurants.Hehassinceexpandedintothreeothercities.
1. Louis Pasteur2. Black currants3. 19654. Also known as a sea, a maria is a dark region on the moon.5. Pierre6. “Skipping Christmas,” by John Grisham7. Sidney Poitier won for his role in “Lilies of the Field.”8. Duke of York9. Cassius Clay10. Buddy, a Labrador retriever
¥ The giant squid has the distinction of possessing the largest eyes of any animal -- they’re as big as pie plates.
¥ For a queen bee, laying 3,000 eggs is all in a day’s work.
¥ Evidencing a drastic change in the nature of the United States since its agrarian beginnings, today only a quarter of Americans live in rural areas.
¥ The next time you’re in the jungle observing gorillas, be sure to notice if one sticks out its tongue. That means it’s angry.
¥ In the filming of the original “Star Trek” television series, the ship’s transporter was used simply to cut costs. With it, characters could move from one set to another without having to shoot costly landing scenes. As a side note, the sparkling effect that could be seen when characters were transported was created by aluminum dust.
¥ If you’re like the average American, you’ll eat nine pounds of peanuts this year.
¥ Those who study such things say you’re more likely to be bitten by a mosquito if you’ve just eaten a banana.
¥ It was, unsurprisingly, comedian and writer W.C. Fields who said, “I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.”
¥ Even if you haven’t heard the They Might Be Giants song “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” you are probably aware that the Turkish metropolis has undergone name changes throughout its long history. It seems that when the name was Constantinople, it was common for residents of the area to refer to things “in the city,” which in the Aegean dialect of Greek is pronounced “is tan polin.” Eventually the name stuck, and in 1930 Turkish authorities formally adopted the name Istanbul.
The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, found-ed in 1883, is the largest and oldest humane soci-ety in Alabama. Over the course of our history we have witnessed the changes in our community and yet have never left the original mission of Dr. Phil-lips “to promote respect for life through education and prevention of cruelty to animals and people”
![Alabaster Caverns[1]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/577cc1eb1a28aba7119403cd/alabaster-caverns1.jpg)
