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Neatest Little Paper Ever Read paul@ietidbits.com For Advertising Call: (951) 634-4152 TIDBITS® CELEBRATES CHINESE NEW YEAR
by Kathy Wolfe February 5th marks the beginning of the observation of the Chinese New Year. This week, Tidbits celebrates the occasion with this collection of facts. • The date of the Chinese New Year changes every year, because it follows the lunar calendar, based on the moon’s movements. It will always fall somewhere between January 21 and February 20, and will usually fall on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. • The Chinese New Year calendar follows a 12-year cycle, with each new year named after an animal. The Chinese animal zodiac in order is rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, with 2019 being a pig year. Besides the animal designation, each year also cycles through the five elements of nature – Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Metal. The Chinese believe that each animal sign has characteristics for those born under the sign, similar to the zodiac signs of Western astrology. However, the Chinese zodiac animals are not associated with constellations and are based on years, rather than months, and represent how others perceive a person or how that person presents himself or herself. turn the page for more!
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Vol 2 Issue 2
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Tidbits of The Pass Area
MAPLE SYRUP
February 6 is Canadian Maple Syrup Day, and Tidbits is dipping into the pot of information about this sticky commodity. • That delicious syrup we pour on our pancakes and waffles is a pretty expensive item because it’s extremely labor intensive 1. MOVIES: Which 1969 movie featured the song to make. A bottle of syrup has its beginnings "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"? in a sugar maple, red maple, or black maple 2. LITERATURE: What is the name of Harry's owl tree, although a few other species might be in the "Harry Potter" book series? used. The trees accumulate starch in the sap 3. MUSIC: Which American actor performs music in their trunks and roots before and during as his alter ego Childish Gambino? winter. The starch converts to sugar, which 4. FOOD & DRINK: Which kids' snack, contained rises in late winter and early spring. A tree in a box with a string handle, was first marketed in can produce sap for 100 years! 1902? • The sap is tapped by drilling holes into the tree 5. GAMES: In what game is a shuttlecock used? trunk. The sap is no longer collected using a 6. SPACE: Who piloted America's first and shortest spout and a bucket, but rather with suction pumps flight into space? and tubes, which makes the process much more 7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Which fish is the fastest in efficient. The sap, which consists of about 95% the world? water and 5% sugar, is then processed by heating 8. GEOGRAPHY: What is Saigon's current name in to evaporate most of the water, leaving behind Vietnam? a concentrated syrup. The boiling process is a 9. ART: Which city is home to the statue "David" delicate one, since syrup boiled too long will created by Michelangelo? eventually crystallize, and if it’s not boiled long 10. MONEY: What was the basic currency of enough, it will quickly spoil. Greece before the euro? • In days gone by, sap was moved to a “sugar Answers shack,” a building cooled by a river, then 1. "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" boiled in large cauldrons, which were 2. Hedwig frequently stirred to prevent crystallization. 3. Donald Glover • Maple syrup was discovered centuries ago 4. Animal-shaped crackers then known as by Native Americans. Legend has it that a "Barnum's Animals" tribal chief threw a tomahawk at a maple tree, 5. Badminton and the sap began to flow. The liquid was 6. Alan Shepard, 1961, 15 minutes collected, and the chief, believing it was water, 7. The black marlin gave it to his wife to cook up some venison, 8. Ho Chi Minh City resulting in a delicious, maple-flavored meat. 9. Florence, Italy The Natives showed the extraction process to 10. Drachma European settlers. The first written reference to the production of maple syrup was in 1606. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
Vol. 2 Issue 2
CHINESE NEW YEAR (continued): • Even though the celebration falls in the middle of Winter, it is traditionally known as “Spring Festival.” This is because it is the “Start of Spring,” marking the end of the coldest part of winter, when the Chinese begin to look forward to Spring. • About one-quarter of the world’s population celebrates Chinese New Year, including 1.3 billion people in China, 90 million in Vietnam, and 50 million in South Korea. Most of the countries celebrating have a three-day public holiday, and Chinese schools are closed for a month. • The festival itself lasts for 15 days, with the first day starting with the new moon, and ending on the full moon. New Year’s Eve is a celebration to honor family, ancestors, and heavenly and sacred deities with a reunion dinner, the most important dinner of the year, usually held at the home of the oldest member of the extended family. The menu is large and elaborate, and ritual sacrifices of food are offered to gods and ancestors. Many don’t eat meat at that feast, believing that abstaining on the first day will ensure a long and happy life, and purify and cleanse the body. This also reinforces the belief that nothing should be killed on the first day of the new year. • Fireworks are lit at midnight, as the noise and lights are believed to ward off demons and evil spirits in the coming year. Since China produces 90% of the world’s fireworks, it’s no surprise that the New Year’s Eve fireworks displays are the largest in the world. • At midnight on New Year’s Eve, every window and door in each home is opened to allow the old year to go out.
Sweet and Spicy Salmon Burgers
Grated lime adds zing to the robust flavors in these salmon patties, which are made with red bell pepper, cilantro, fresh ginger, garlic and red curry paste, and served with a lime-flavored soy sauce. Sauce: 1/4 cup lime juice (grate zest first) 1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Burgers: 1/2 red bell pepper 1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro 1 slice peeled ginger 1 clove garlic 2 teaspoons red curry paste (see Tip) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon sugar 1 1/2 pound skinless salmon 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1. Sauce: Mix ingredients in a small bowl. (You can do this first, or while fish is cooking.) 2. Burgers: Put bell pepper, cilantro, ginger, garlic, curry paste, lime zest and sugar in a food processor and pulse until blended. Add fish and pulse until just blended. 3. Shape level 1/4-cupfuls fish mixture into twelve 3-inch patties. (At this point, the fish burgers may be loosely covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.) 4. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the fish burgers and cook about 1 minute on each side, until just cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Cook remaining fish burgers. Serve with sauce. Serves 4. TIP: You can find red curry paste in the Asian foods or spice section of your market. Occasionally it contains shrimp paste, so be sure to check ingredients if you have a shellfish allergy. Refrigerate jar after opening. For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our Web site at www. goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved
Week of February 3, 2019
CHINESE NEW YEAR (continued): • The new year is symbolic of letting go of the past and welcoming new beginnings. It’s a tradition to thoroughly clean the home in preparation for the holiday, in order to rid it of any bad feelings that have accumulated there over the past year. The cleaning also satisfies the gods who traditionally come down from heaven for an inspection. Failure to clean can bring bad luck to the family. However, on New Year’s Day, no sweeping or dusting is allowed in a Chinese home due to the fear that good luck and fortune will be swept away. Traditionalists also do not wash their hair on that day, for fear that good luck will be washed away. • The second day of the festival is set aside for kindness to the animal of the year. Since 2019 is the year of the pig, it’s an old Chinese belief Day Two of the new year is the birthday of all pigs, and people should be especially kinds to pigs on that day. • On days three and four, sons-in-law pay respect to their wife’s parents. On the fifth day, brooms and dust pans can once again be brought out, but dirt can only be removed through the home’s back door. The day is spent at home, as it is considered bad luck to visit anyone on that day. On days six through ten, folks are free to call on their loved ones and to visit the temple to pray for good fortune. • Day 7 honors the birthday of all humans, with a drink concocted from seven types of vegetables consumed to celebrate. The day’s menu is raw fish to promote success, and long uncut noodles that represent long life. • The pomegranate is a traditional fruit during Chinese New Year, because its many seeds symbolize fertility. The orange is also treasured because it represents good luck.
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Another City Has No Homeless Vets?
In a recent press release, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that Little Rock, Arkansas, had joined the list of three states and 65 towns that had conquered veteran homelessness. The list of those locations goes back to 2015, and the page announces, "The following jurisdictions have announced an end to Veteran homelessness as of Dec. 19, 2018." The actual facts raise questions, however. Take New Orleans. The mayor issued a statement in 2015 saying it was the first city in the nation to end veteran homelessness. OK. How are they doing now? At the end of 2018, the VA health center there held a Stand Down for homeless veterans. The director said that the VA has made significant progress, but there was more work to do. They still have homeless veterans. In 2015, the governor of Virginia said they would work to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2017. The homeless number was cut in half, which is major milestone. But fast-forward to the January 2018 Point in Time Count (PIT). The numbers were not zero. In late 2017, the mayor of Atlanta was quoted as thanking all those who helped make it possible. The assumption, since his quote is on the list of cities that conquered veteran homelessness, is that there were no more homeless veterans in Atlanta. Two months later, on the day of the PIT, there were 96 unsheltered homeless veterans there. It's to be expected that when people move around, the number of homeless will shift. But to include these locations on a list of those purporting to have achieved zero homelessness, when they currently have homeless, is to skew the numbers. They might once have been down to zero, but they're not there now. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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To Your Good Health By Keith Roach, M.D.
Is Big and Tall Patient Getting Petite-Size Meds? DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 71 years old, stand 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 325 pounds. The "average" person is half my size, yet when I get medication for various ailments (e.g., gout, pain, flu shots, etc.) I get the standard dose. I assume I have more physical mass as well as a larger blood supply, which leads me to the conclusion that I am receiving a smaller concentration of medicine than the typical patient. Am I correct? -- M.K. ANSWER: All medicines have concentrations at which they work optimally. Too low a dose and they aren't effective, and too high a dose increases risk of toxicity. Some drugs have a very small range that's both effective and nontoxic, and these are referred to as having a "narrow toxic to therapeutic ratio." Others have a very large range where they are effective and nontoxic, such as most over-the-counter pain medicines and flu shots.
Tidbits of The Pass Area
volume is probably only a little above the average, since the increased bone mass, muscle mass and, in most people your size, fat mass are disproportionate to the blood. Some medicines go to the blood, others to "lean body mass" and still others preferentially to fat. So while you are correct that you are getting a smaller concentration of medicine, that's still OK most of the time. For medications that need to be dosed precisely, those with a narrow toxic to therapeutic ratio (such as some antibiotics, heart medication and chemotherapy), the dosing is based on height, weight, age and sometimes kidney and liver function. DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 80 years old, in good health with no cancer in the family. Up to now, I have always had regular Pap smears and mammograms. Now I am aware that there are different thoughts as to whether those tests are needed at my age. What is your advice? -- J.G. ANSWER: For Pap smears, there is very good evidence that women who have never had any problems with their Pap smears by age 65 are very unlikely to ever develop any, and I agree with the recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to stop them at age 65.
Penicillin has a very wide toxic to therapeutic ratio, but I use that example precisely because some people will have an allergic reaction. There is no drug -- prescribed, over-the-counter or supplement -- that is either perfectly safe while being effective, or perfectly effective while being safe, for every person.
Mammograms are more controversial, but my personal practice is to continue to recommend them for most women until about age 75. I stop recommending mammograms to women when they have an underlying medical condition that makes it unlikely that they will receive benefit from continued screening. Deciding when that is takes some experience and a lot of discussion with the patient and sometimes her family. There is no absolute age cutoff for mammograms, and getting a mammogram on a healthy 80-year-old might make sense. Getting a mammogram on a woman with incurable lung cancer, for example, does not.
The concentration of the drug in the appropriate area of the body (sometimes blood, sometimes the affected organ, sometimes urine) may depend on the dose as well as your characteristics. Despite being much larger than average, your blood
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med. cornell.edu. (c) 2019 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 2 Issue 2
CHINESE NEW YEAR (continued): • The color red is prominent throughout Chinese New Year celebrations. It’s the symbol of fire, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and prevent bad luck. Red also denotes happiness, wealth, and prosperity. People wear red clothing, homes and city streets are decorated with red lanterns and red paper cuttings, and children receive red envelopes full of money. The dollar amount of the gift cannot be divisible by 4 because in the Chinese culture, that number means death. Folks even paint their doors and window jams red to chase away bad luck. • Chinese tradition dictates that whatever a person does on New Year’s Day will set the standard for the remainder of the year. A person borrowing money on New Year’s Day will be borrowing all year long. Likewise, a person who lends money will be lending all year long. Parents don’t spank their children, believing that a child who cries on New Year’s Day will cry all year. • Traditional greetings throughout the festival include: “May you realize your ambitions,” “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits,” “May your wealth come to fill a hall,” and “May your happiness and longevity be complete.” • The 15th and final day of the New Year celebration ushers in the Lantern Festival, which falls on the night of the first full moon of the Chinese New Year. People walk the streets carrying lanterns, lanterns are put up for decoration, let loose into the air, and floated in rivers. They are a symbol of lighting the way for the New Year.
3.3 x 2
Here is why:- Media manipulators believe we can be targeted. If there's a chance we'll pass along fake news, political or not, they'll be sure we see it.
Seniors Most Likely to Spread Fake News
A recent study concluded that seniors over age 65 pass along fake and bogus internet news items seven times more often than young adults (18-29) and twice as often as those slightly younger (45-65). Researchers theorized that seniors don't have enough digital media literacy to figure out what's true and what isn't. They also wondered if age-related memory problems keep us from recognizing a hoax when we see it. Specifically, this study was done during the last election by researchers at Princeton and NYU and was conducted on Facebook to see what links people passed along. They say it was done with user consent, but whether that's true or not, we need to take a step back and re-examine our internet habits.
-- They believe we can be manipulated. If you shop for an item online and suddenly start seeing ads for it everywhere, you're being tracked. What you can do: If you use Google or Gmail, go into your settings and block everything you can. If you don't know how, get help. Convince your senior center to hold classes on Internet safety. Use Mozilla Firefox as your Internet browser and install the uBlock ad blocker. The big question: Are that many of us really sending out fake news links, when it's the youngest generations that basically live on their phones and computers? Per a 2018 Pew study, we use social media at half the rate of the youngest age group. My personal opinion, which has nothing to do with this study: Get off Facebook. Just leave it behind. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
Week of February 3, 2019
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1. 1 How many of the top five spots for intentional walks for a season does Barry Bonds hold? 2. Entering 2019, Washington's Max Scherzer had struck out 250 or more batters for how many consecutive seasons? 3. Since the 1970 merger, six rookies have led the NFL in rushing for a season. Name three of them. 4. In 2018, Jay Wright became the winningest men's basketball coach (career victories) in Villanova history. Who are second and third on the list?
5 Who are the only two Russian-born winners of the NHL's Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs)? 5. 6. 6 In how many different seasons has Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton recorded at least 10 victories? 7. 7 Name the last country to repeat as tennis' Davis Cup champion.
• On Feb. 13, 1861, the earliest military action to be revered with a Medal of Honor award is performed by Col. Bernard J.D. Irwin, an Army surgeon serving in the first major U.S.-Apache conflict. The Irishborn doctor volunteered to go to the rescue of 2nd Lt. George Bascom, who was trapped in Arizona with 60 soldiers by the Apaches. • On Feb. 14, 1886, the first trainload of oranges grown by southern California farmers leaves Los Angeles via the transcontinental railroad. Development of California surged when state railroad lines linked Los Angeles into the transcontinental railways. • On Feb. 15, 1903, the first Teddy bear goes on sale. Toy-store owner and inventor Morris Michtom placed two stuffed bears in his shop window, advertising them as Teddy bears, named after President Theodore Roosevelt. • On Feb. 16, 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. The room was virtually intact, with its treasures untouched after more than 3,000 years. • On Feb. 12, 1938, Judy Blume, popular young-adult author, is born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume's books, which realistically address such topics as bullying, divorce, friendships and family, gained legions of young fans; however, their content frequently led them to be banned by school libraries. • On Feb. 11, 1960, the Federal Communications Commission proposes a new law making it a criminal act to be involved in Payola -- corrupt practices in the radio and music industries that involved manufacturing a hit by paying for it to be played on the air. • On Feb. 17, 1996, world chess champion Garry Kasparov triumphs over Deep Blue, IBM's chess-playing computer, to win their six-game match, 4-2. However, Deep Blue would defeat Kasparov in a heavily publicized rematch the following year. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Answers 1. He holds the top three, including a record 120 intentional walks in 2004. 2. Five (2014-18). 3. Earl Campbell (1978), George Rogers (1981), Eric Dickerson (1983), Edgerrin James (1999), Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Kareem Hunt (2017) 4. Alexander Severance (413 wins in 25 seasons) and Rollie Massimino (357 wins in 19 seasons). 5. Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin (2009) and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin (2018). 6. Four times (2014, '15, '16 and '18). 7. Czech Republic (2012-13). (c) 2019 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
REMARKABLE PEOPLE: ALFRED HITCHCOCK
This week, Tidbits delves into the life of the “Master of Suspense,” the creator of the classic film Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock. • Born in the living quarters above his parents’ east London grocery store, Alfred Hitchcock was a solitary child, inventing games and drawing maps by himself. He later remarked that he couldn’t remember ever having a playmate. When Hitchcock was five years old, his very strict father sent him to the local police station, carrying a note that read, “This is what we do to naughty boys,” giving instructions to the police to lock Alfred in a cell for five minutes. The result was Hitchcock’s life-long fear of policemen, a phobia so extreme that Hitchcock refused to drive a car out of fear of parking tickets. • Hitchcock suffered from a glandular disorder which resulted in childhood obesity, a condition that further increased his lack of friends. • As a teen, Hitchcock enrolled in night classes in engineering, mechanics, and navigation, with the intent of becoming an engineer. However, his father’s death forced young Alfred into the work force as a clerk at a telegraph company. He later adjusted his studies to art history, painting, and economics. • At age 20, he became an editor and manager of the telegraph company’s in-house publication, which published a number of short stories Hitchcock had written. He expanded his interests to photography and film production. A year later, he took a job as a title card designer at a fledgling company that would become Paramount Pictures. Five years later, he was producing silent films for the company. At age 28, he achieved critical success with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Two years later, he had 10 films under his belt.
• If you are reattaching a button to shorts or pants, try using dental floss, the unwaxed kind. It's much stronger and can hold the button better than regular thread. Use a marker to darken it if the color is an issue. • Make sure you clean your hairbrush weekly, especially if you use a lot of styling products. If it is solid, you could stick it in the dishwasher, or simply use shampoo to clean it while you shower, and then rinse well. • "I keep a lint roller in the drawer of my TV table, and I use it to pick up stray pet hairs along the back of the couch where my kitty sleeps. I vacuum weekly, but she's a long-haired cat, and this just keeps it tidy in between. It's easy, too." -- A.F. in Pennsylvania • "To help get tangles out of thin, delicate chains, simply sprinkle talc powder on the knotted portion. It won't damage the metal at all -- on the contrary, it acts as a lubricant to release the tight knots, making it easier to pull them apart. When you're done, just rinse the chain and dry carefully. Also, necklaces store better when they are hung up." -- R.E. in Nebraska • "If you have a bunch of picture frames that don't match or ones that are nicked or have small cosmetic damage, just paint them. Choose a matching color for all, and you'll have a collection!" -- T.L. in Florida Send your tips to Now Here's a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Tidbits of The Pass Area
Vol. 2 Issue 2
1. Is the book of 2 Samuel in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. From 1 Corinthians 16, on which day did Paul tell believers to put aside money for their offerings? First, Third, Fifth, Sabbath 3. Which book (KJV) begins, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly"? Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Psalms 4. What was Matthew's occupation before becoming a disciple? Tentmaker, Tax collector, Fisherman, Shepherd 5. In Esther 2, who foiled a plot to assassinate King Ahasuerus? Neco, Amaziah, Mordecai, Joshua 6. What did Ruth and Boaz name their son? Obed, Hushai, Abner, Jehu ANSWERS: 1) Old; 2) First; 3) Psalms; 4) Tax collector; 5) Mordecai; 6) Obed Visit Wilson Casey’s Trivia Fan Siteat www.patreon.com/triviaguy. Š 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
Week of February 3, 2019
Fat Cat, Thin Cat DEAR PAW'S CORNER: I have two cats -- one very fat, and the other way too thin. "Star," my fat cat, was adopted a year before "Comet," my skinny cat. You can probably guess that Star is the confident one, and in fact he bullies Comet a bit. And skinny little Comet is very shy -- he won't let anyone except me pet him, and hides when anyone comes to visit. The trouble is, Comet is not gaining weight. I think Star is stealing his food, but Comet won't eat unless Star is eating next to him. Any suggestions? -- Worried Cat Mama in Oak Park, Illinois DEAR CAT MAMA: It can be tough to change a cat's eating habits. Still, give it a try. Feed Comet as usual, next to Star, but observe them closely to see if your bigger cat is indeed taking Comet's food.
Next, bring Comet into a separate room from Star and see if he will eat if you are sitting next to him. A friend of mine who was experiencing a similar problem with her cats did this and had a lot of success. The only drawback is that her cat now insists that she sit next to him and pet him while he's eating! I'd be remiss if I didn't also suggest that you take Comet to the vet for a checkup, just to make sure that he doesn't have any underlying health issues that could be preventing him from gaining weight. The vet also may suggest a different food for Comet in the short term to make sure he's getting plenty of nutrients.
Send your questions or pet care tips to ask@pawscorner.com.
(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Vol. 2 Issue 2