February 14, 2017
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read®
Issue 00305
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From Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan and Dar Robinson, Hollywood has showcased a never-ending parade of stuntmen (and women). Come along with Tidbits as we remember some of their most memorable stunts!
HAROLD’S BIG BLOW-UP • Harold Lloyd was one of Hollywood’s first moviemakers and he did his own stunts. His career nearly ended in 1919 due to a mix-up. The prop department manufactured bombs that looked like a small black bowling balls with a fuses sticking out. Some of them were full of real flash powder and some of them were merely smoke bombs. • During a publicity shoot, Lloyd picked up what he thought was a harmless smoke bomb, lit the fuse, and proceeded to light the publicity man’s cigarette from the fuse. Unfortunately the prop man had mixed some of the live bombs in with the fake ones, and the bomb exploded catastrophically while Lloyd was holding it. • He was lucky he wasn’t killed. As it was, he lost his thumb and forefinger, suffered facial lacerations, and nearly lost an eye. The blast blew a hole in the studio ceiling, split a production worker’s false teeth in half, and caused the photographer to faint. The prop man and cameraman were also injured, but recovered.
TOM MIX VS LEOPARD • Tom Mix was a rodeo champion in the early 1900s. One day a rodeo organizer showed him a cable from a film company looking for cowboys willing to do stunt work for a movie they were making. Mix signed up and that’s how he got started in films. • In 1914 Mix was acting as safety man during the filming of “Lost in the Jungle.” Heroine
Q: How many stuntmen does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Five. One to screw it in and four to tell him how great he looked doing it.
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® In 1962 during the filming of “How the West Was Won” Robert Morgan was filming a gunfight on a moving flatcar loaded with logs. A chain broke and Morgan was crushed by logs. It took him five years to recover from his injuries. The scene appeared in the film in its entirety.
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“I’m not a stunt man. I’m not a daredevil. I’m - I’m an explorer.” -Evel Knievel
WILLIAM DUNCAN’S DROWNING
Kathryn Williams was to cower between two logs while a leopard menaced her. The leopard had been trained to catch and kill chickens, and a chicken was tied directly behind the actress out of camera range. Mix stood by with a shotgun just in case. • As the leopard stalked the chicken, the breeze kicked up, ruffling Kathryn’s hair which flew up into a feathery halo. The confused leopard leapt at the actress instead of the chicken, sinking its claws into her head. Mix, unable to shoot the animal without endangering the actress, grabbed the leopard by the tail and dragged it off. • The director saw the potential in this heroic act and Tom Mix’s career as an actor and stuntman was launched. He went on to make 70 Westerns for the studio, performing all his own stunts. He ended up breaking each leg four times as well as fracturing ribs, ankles, and hands. His popularity soared until he was one of Hollywood’s top stars, earning $17,000 per week. He died in 1940 in a car crash at the age of 60.
• William Duncan, a Scottish actor, insisted on doing his own stunts. In 1915 he plunged off an 80-foot (24 m) cliff into the sea, but the cameras on the boats were rocked so violently by the waves that they were unable to get any close-up shots of Duncan supposedly drowning. So they moved to a 10-foot deep (3 m) indoor tank in a studio. • In the script, Duncan’s character plunges off the cliff to avoid capture by pursuing guards, who then shoot at him in the water. To simulate rifle shots hitting the water, production
A BUSY GUY • Guinness Book of World Records awarded Jackie Chan the record for the most film credits for his work in movie “Chinese Zodiac” where he was not only the lead actor performing all his stunts, but also the writer, director, producer, cinematographer, art director, production manager, prop man, gaffer, composer, theme song vocalist, and catering coordinator. assistants were armed with heavy iron nuts and instructed to hurl them at Duncan’s head as he was going under. • To ensure a life-like drowning, Duncan was tied to a rope which ran through an iron ring on the bottom of the tank and over to several men on the opposite side who were to pull on the rope to drag Duncan under. Duncan was then supposed to release himself from the rope and swim to the surface.
Rose August Wenger, who was billed as Helen Gibson, is recognized as the first American professional stunt woman. In 1912, Helen made $15 a week for her first billed role. In 1915 she jumped from the roof of a train station onto the top of a moving train. She suffered only a few bruises.
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• Just as Duncan was being pulled under, one of the nuts hit him in the head, knocking him senseless. He suddenly found himself underwater, tied to a rope with no recollection of what he was supposed to do. He nearly drowned before the details of how to release himself from the rope came back to him. Meanwhile, the assistants were standing around the tank thinking, “Gee, he sure can stay under water a long time.”
CONNIE TILTON SAVES THE DAY • Connie Tilton was stunt double for Hayley Mills in the 1959 movie “Tiger Bay.” She was to jump from a ship into a choppy sea, and a stuntman was to dive in to dramatically rescue her for the cameras. The stuntman panicked in the high waves and nearly drowned them both. Tilton smacked him, knocking him unconscious. She then swam back to the ship towing him behind her.
MARY FULLER, MERMAID 1. This actor suffered hearing loss due to the proximity of a gun shooting blanks. 2. This stuntman once spent two days after a fight trying to push his bone back into his fist but later realized it was the other guy’s tooth. 3. Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and Sylvester Stallone in “Rambo III” shared this stunt item. 4. This stuntman won a Guinness World record for “Most stunts by a living actor.” 5. Are stuntmen eligible for Academy Awards?
• Mary Fuller was one of the first female stuntwomen. In 1916 she played the part of a mermaid. Her mermaid tail was firmly fitted to her bottom half and she was placed, bedecked with lilies and coral, on a rocky point off the coast in the midst of an angry sea. While the cameras rolled, she noted that the tide was rising far more rapidly than anyone had considered possible. She shouted to the director who stood on the shore, but she couldn’t be heard over the crashing of the waves. The cameraman was totally absorbed in getting the shot and didn’t notice her predicament. Water began splashing over her. Waves tore away her lilies and coral. She could not move because of the tail. Finally a wave swept over her, dragging her out to sea. Only then did the men realize the danger she was in. They dragged her back to shore, but the movie cameras were swept out to sea and never recovered.
BOSWORTH’S BAD BITE • In 1931 Frank Capra was filming “Dirigible” when he needed realistic-looking frozen breath. The scene was supposed to take place in the Arctic but was actually shot in a hot studio. Capra designed metal cages to fit inside the mouth of each actor involved in the scene, and then filled the cages with chips of dry ice. Actor Hobart Bosworth found the cage interfered with his speech, so he threw the cage away and put the dry ice directly into his mouth. A second later he was in complete agony as the intense cold burned his mouth. Parts of his jaw, teeth, and tongue had to be surgically removed afterwards.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON • While filming “Rumble in the Bronx,” Jackie Chan broke his ankle. Rather than take time off to heal, he pulled a sock over his cast and painted it to look like a sneaker so he could continue shooting.
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2001 Jackie Chan movie about a window washer stopping a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which was cancelled after the 9/11 attacks actually happened.
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• Jimson weed is a double-edged plant. On one hand, it’s the source of several invaluable pharmaceutical medicines. On the other hand, it can kill. • The Latin name for the plant is “Datura stramonium.” • “Datura” comes from the Hindi word meaning “thorny apple” because the seed pod is spiky and round. • “Stramonium” springs from the Greek words “strychnos” denoting the poisonous nightshades (a word that also gave us “strychnine”) and the word “maniakos” meaning “mad.” Jimson weed is a member of the nightshade family, and it can drive a creature mad. • The name “jimson weed” is a shortening of
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“I Love that little paper!” “Jamestown weed.” In Jamestown, Virginia in 1676, a group of British soldiers helped themselves to a salad made with the leaves of this toxic plant. It took them eleven days to recover from the resulting delirium and hallucinations. It’s also known by various other names, including devil’s trumpet and loco weed. Every part of this weedy herb is dangerously toxic: leaves, flowers, seeds, and stems. Reportedly, even honey made from the nectar can be dangerous. Because it has a bitter taste, most animals avoid it, though livestock fenced in pens or fields where other forage is scarce may graze on it to their detriment. A primary danger comes when the weed is growing wild amid hayfields and it is harvested with the silage and fed to livestock. Likewise, chickens have been poisoned by eating the seeds that were milled by accident along with other edible grains. Jimson weed is an annual herb that grows up to five feet (1.5 m) tall and can be found nearly worldwide in moderate climates. It prefers disturbed areas such as garbage dumps, roadsides, and pastureland rich with animal waste. When any part of the plant is ingested, it triggers delirium and hallucinations that mimic schizophrenia, making it difficult for the victim to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Victims often speak to people who aren’t there, or smoke imaginary cigarettes. It also causes alarming symptoms including an irregular heartbeat, seizures, high blood pressure, hypothermia, amnesia, and coma. Symptoms usually last 24 to 48 hours but can persist for up to two weeks. Yet the plant is the source of a number of essential pharmaceutical medications. Scopolamine helps prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness or following anesthesia and surgery. Atropine is used to treat poisoning, to speed an irregular heartbeat, to reduce salivation during surgery, and to dilate the pupils of the eyes. The amount of scopolamine and atropine varies widely in the plant, changing from day to day depending the age of the plant and the conditions it’s growing under. This unpredictable nature makes it dangerous to use the plant for home remedies, especially since the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose is difficult to discern without medical apparatus. Some people who have ingested Jimson weed, whether accidentally or intentionally, have ended up in psychiatric wards when they were unable to describe the reason for their bizarre behavior. Some experts think that ancient Delphic oracles boiled the plant and inhaled the steam in order to induce visions.
THE ISLAND OF SURTSEY • Surtsey is an island off the coast of Iceland that was born from a volcanic eruption that started in 1963 and continued until 1967. • In 1963, men on a fishing trawler off the coast of Iceland saw a column of smoke and thought it was a ship on fire. When they investigated, they found that it was instead an underwater volcanic eruption. By the end of the week, the volcano had broken the surface of the sea and an island began to form. • After the eruption ceased, the island was measured at one square mile in area (2.7 km2)
Call Today (250) 832-3361 * Seat warmers are for more than cold bottoms: The next time you pick up a pizza, turn on your seat warmer to keep your pie from getting cold on the ride home! * “My kids love snack crackers, but they can be easy to overdo. When I buy a box, I go ahead and portion them out into snack-size zip-lock baggies. Then the kids can grab a bag and won’t just keep eating out of habit (and spoil their supper).” -- O.V. in New Mexico * A beaded necklace can make a fun imprint on the edges of your pie crust. Then, to help your pie crusts hold their shape in the oven, try freezing them for 30 minutes before filling. * For great-looking candles, use a plain nylon stocking to buff out smudges, nicks and fingerprints. This works especially well on white or cream-colored candles, which can pick up all sorts of ugly-looking soot stains. * “Use a tab pulled off a soda can to double hang items in your closet. Simply thread the soda tab onto the hanger hook, and put the hook of a second hanger through the bottom hole. This is a great idea for hanging outfits together.” -- W.P. in Washington * “With two teenagers and all their friends, as soon as the snacks come home, they seem to disappear. Well, here’s the trick to hiding food in plain sight: I stash candy bars in a whole-wheat noodle package. There are ice-cream sandwiches in a bag that used to hold frozen spinach. Also, chips stay nicely in an old-fashioned oatmeal container on a high shelf.” -- A.R. in Missouri Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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1. GEOGRAPHY: What are residents of Guam called? 2. GEOLOGY: What kind of mineral produces an emerald? 3. MUSIC: Who is godfather to John Lennon’s son Sean? 4. ZODIAC: What is the symbol for the zodiac sign Sagittarius? 5. ANATOMY: What does the “superior vena cavae” do in the human body? 6. U.S. GOVERNMENT: Who was the first vice president of the United States? 7. FOOD & DRINK: What vegetable gives borscht its color? 8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What fraternal
but in the years since, wave action has eroded the island and it is now half the size that it once was. Though erosion continues, it’s unlikely the island will ever completely disappear because the waves now beat against the hard volcanic shores instead of the loose volcanic fragments. • The island is 20 miles (32 km) south of the southern coast of Iceland. The name is Icelandic meaning “Surtr’s Island” named for
organization’s motto is “We Serve”? 9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the Christmas novel, “The Cricket on the Hearth”? 10. EXPLORERS: Which explorer was nicknamed “The Pathfinder” for mapping the Oregon Trail? Answers 1. Guamanians 2. Beryl 3. Elton John 4. The archer 5. Carries blood from the upper body to the heart 6. John Adams 7. Beet 8. Lions Clubs 9. Charles Dickens 10. John Fremont
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• A van carrying a dozen movie stuntmen on the way to a film location in the mountains spun out of control on the icy road, crashed through a guardrail, rolled down a 90-foot embankment, turned over, and burst into flames. There were no injuries.
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the mythological Norse giant Surtur, who is charged with the responsibility of setting fire to the world after the Last Judgement. The formation and development of this island has been closely studied by scientists who want to understand more about how a sterile environment is colonized. Access to the island has been controlled since its birth. When the island was only one month old, microbes hovered in the air over the island. The first flies and butterflies appeared on the barren island a few months later. By 1967 when the volcanic eruption finally ceased, there were 63 species of insects found there. By 1970 the list of insect species found on the island had grown to 136. Most of the insects found had been blown there and did not survive. However, by 1970 there were breeding populations of both springtails and midges. The birds found Surtsey quickly as well. Only two weeks after the island had been formed, sea gulls were landing there to rest. In 1967, 14 species of birds stopped by the island regularly. By 1970 three different species of birds were nesting on Surtsey while 16 other species stopped by occasionally to rest. Plants also arrived in short order. A sea rocket was the first plant to set down roots there, in 1965. Sea rockets are members of the cabbage family that grow well in salty and sandy conditions. By 1969 there were four additional species of plants on Surtsey. Many of these plants grew around a barrel scientists had placed on the island to collect rainwater. Birds perched on the edge of the barrel to drink. Their droppings, containing seeds of plants they had eaten, fell on the ground and sprouted. Mosses also grew well, but scientists suspected they had brought in the moss spores on the bottoms of their shoes. Another item brought in unintentionally by a scientist included a tomato plant that was found
1. The first paid stuntman was in the 1908 film “The Count of Monte Cristo.” How much was he paid to jump off a cliff upside-down into the sea? 2. How much was Dar Robinson paid for jumping from the top of Toronto’s CN tower in 1979, setting a world record for highest paid stunt?
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Fighting Animal Abuse at Your Front Door DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My neighbor and I are concerned about an older dog -- a black Lab, I think -- who comes down every day barking, begging and having accidents in front of our door. He can hardly walk and often falls down. He has open sores all over and you can see his ribs. He is definitely almost blind. We know where his home is and went down there a few times, but no one answered the door. We’re so fed up with the sadness of the situation and his using the bathroom in front of our door daily. We called the police asking them to speak with its owner, but nothing seems to have changed. I really need your advice on what to do next. It breaks our hearts to know he is suffering. -- Carla V., via email DEAR CARLA: I commend you for trying to get help for this dog. I’d be interested to know what action the police took. Since the dog is still coming around, more complaints from you are necessary. Call the local police non-emergency number each time the dog shows up, and ask why the dog is still suffering and wandering off a leash. If the city or county has an animal-control department, contact it as well. It’s important to document what you see: You sent me a photo of the dog, and you should give that to the authorities, along with notes on how often the dog has shown up. The Animal Legal Defense Fund offers more information on how to help animals you suspect are being abused. The Humane Society of the United States also has advice and instructions on contacting authorities or getting more help. Send your questions, tips or comments to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
Bacon-Cheddar Quiche In celebration of National Hot Breakfast Month, here is an eye-opener that is much more than just a bowl of cold cereal. 1 Pillsbury 9-inch refrigerated unbaked pie crust 1 1/3 cups Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk Powder 1 1/4 cups water 2 eggs or equivalent in egg substitute 1/4 cup Oscar Mayer or Hormel Real Bacon Bits 1 cup shredded Kraft 2 percent Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and flute edges. In a large bowl, combine dry milk powder and water. Add eggs. Mix well to combine. Stir in bacon bits, Cheddar cheese and onion flakes. Pour mixture into pie crust. 2. Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Place pie plate on a wire rack and let set for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serves 8. * Each serving equals: 232 calories, 12g fat, 11g protein, 20g carbs, 305mg sodium, 266mg calcium, 0g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch/ Carbs, 1 Meat, 1 Fat; Carb Choices: 1 (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
growing on the island in 1969. Researchers were confused at how it arrived, until they concluded that someone had defecated and the tomato seed had sprouted after passing through the human digestive system. The tomato plant was pulled up, lest it contaminate the natural order of things. • When a large, grass-covered tussock washed ashore in 1974, scientists found it harbored 663 land invertebrates, most of which survived the sea crossing. By 1983, seals were breeding on the island. Today about 60 species of plants grow on the island regularly. • Today there is a webcam, a weather station, and a hut to shelter scientists on the island. Only about 100 people have set foot on the island since it formed.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was beloved 20th-century American humorist and author Will Rogers who made the following sage observation: “A king can stand people fighting, but he can’t last long if people start thinking.” * The next time you’re dining at a seafood restaurant, consider this tidbit: Those who study such things say that 80 percent of a crab or lobster’s dry weight is wax. * Researchers at Cornell University have determined that if chickens are kept in a coop that is artificially lighted to simulate a 28-hour day, the eggs laid by those chickens will be larger and have stronger shells. * If you try to come up with an image of the pioneers’ westward trek in search of land, gold and new futures, what comes to mind is likely to be covered wagons (also known at the time as Prairie Schooners) crossing vast grasslands. A group of wagons circling up at dusk has become emblematic of that long journey. Most people assume that the wagons were placed in a circle for protection, to keep potential intruders out, but that’s not entirely true. While that may have been an advantage to the arrangement, the primary motivation was to keep livestock from wandering off. * The English word “infant” comes from a Latin term whose literal meaning is “one unable to speak.” * You might be surprised to learn that fruit flies can become intoxicated, too -- and they don’t even have to take a drink. Just the smell of alcohol affects them. Thought for the Day: “The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.” -- Hermann GoringÊ (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Armstrong Chamber Week Events Lunch & Learn Feb 22 – Spallumcheen Signage bylaw info 12 – 1pm Feb 23 – Armstrong signage bylaw info 12 – 1 pm Feb 24 – Post Budget Event with Greg Kyllo 1:30 – 3 pm RSVP or questions? 250-546-8155 or staff@aschamber.com
1. Bruce Willis suffered hearing loss due to being too close to the gun he was shooting in “Die Hard.” 2. Jackie Chan once spent two days after a fight trying to push his bone back into his fist but later realized it was the other guy’s tooth. 3. Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and Sylvester Stallone in “Rambo III” shared the same stunt horse. 4. Jackie Chan won a Guinness World record for most stunts by a living actor. 5. Stuntmen are not eligible for Academy Awards but they are eligible for Taurus World Stunt Awards.
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1. In 1908 a stuntman was paid $5 to jump off a cliff upside-down into the sea. 2. Dar Robinson was paid $100,000 for jumping from the top of Toronto’s CN tower in 1979, setting a world record for highest paid stunt.
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