Tommy Contest Page 5
of the River Region
May 29, 2018 Published by PTK Corp.
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 TIDBITS® VISITS SOME
FAMOUS BUILDINGS by Kathy Wolfe This week, Tidbits is focusing on structures old and new, big and small, from around the world. • Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa has been leaning since the time of its construction. Work began on the marble and stone bell tower of the city’s cathedral in 1173 and continued until 1372, nearly 200 years! As soon as construction had progressed to the tower’s second floor in 1178, it began to sink, due to the site’s inadequate foundation on soft ground being unable to support the weight. During the late 20th century, stabilization efforts were undertaken, removing 70 metric tons of earth from under one side, making the tower equal to its position in 1838. By 2008, engineers stated that the landmark had stopped moving for the first time in its history, and declared it stable for at least 200 years. • The world’s tallest building can be found in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,717 feet (828 m) tall, opened in January, 2010 after six years of construction. It contains 211 floors, has 57 elevators, 8 escalators, and 24,348 windows. Fifteen of the floors are occupied by the 304-room Armani Hotel. If you’re interested in staying there, be prepared to pay about $900 for a room with a double bed. • Prior to the opening of the Burj Khalifa, Taiwan’s Taipei 101 skyscraper had been the world’s tallest building since 2004, with a height of 1,667 feet (508 m). It is one of the world’s most stable buildings, designed to tolerate typhoon winds and earthquakes common to the area. During construction, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake occurred, sending two enormous cranes to the ground from the 56th floor, causing five fatalities. Taipei 101 had no structural damage in spite of the magnitude. Because the number “8” is associated with prosperity and good fortune in the Chinese culture, the main tower of the building has a series of eight segments of eight floors each. It’s also home to the world’s tallest sundial and the world’s largest New Year’s Eve countdown clock. (Continued next page)
Vol 7 Issue 22 paul@riverregiontidbits.com
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Tidbits® of the River Region (Front page continued)
1. Is the book of Damascus in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. From 2 Samuel 14, who was the best-looking man in Israel during King David’s reign? Joel, Samuel, David, Absalom 3. To whom did Naaman the Syrian ask forgiveness after worshipping the god Rimmon? Saul, Christ, Elisha, Darius 4. From John 3, who was a Pharisee and ruler among the Jews? Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, Judas, Peter 5. Who was known as the “Supplanter”? Aaron, Moses, Jacob, Hosea 6. What was the name of David’s first wife? Rachel, Priscilla, Michal, Ruth Comments? More Trivia? Visit www.TriviaGuy.com (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
By Chris Richcreek 1. Who was the first player to hit his 499th and 500th career home runs in the same game? 2. Name the player who led the American League in both doubles and triples in 1970. Hint: He played for the Minnesota Twins. 3. Who was the last running back before Matt Dayes in 2016 to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season for North Carolina State? 4. Which was the last NBA team before Golden State in 2016 to have 47 assists in a game? 5. Who was the first American woman inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? 6. Name the last woman before Evgenia Medvedeva in 2017 to win back-to-back world figure skating singles titles. 7. Entering 2018, when was the last U.S. Open playoffs for men’s golf? (c) 2018 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
• In 2020, the Burj Khalifa will lose the title of World’s Tallest Building upon the scheduled completion of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, or Kingdom Tower. Construction began in 2013 on the Tower, which will be the first building to reach the milestone of 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) tall. • New York’s Chrysler Building’s tenure as the world’s tallest building didn’t last long. It opened on May 27, 1930, the first man-made structure taller than 1,000 feet (300 m). Just 11 months later, the Empire State Building, just 4 feet (1.2 m) taller, nabbed the title. • New York City’s Empire State Building held the honor for nearly 40 years after its May, 1931 opening. It gave up the title to the World Trade Center’s North Tower in late 1970. The ESB, the first building to have more than 100 floors, was built in record time, just 410 days, by a record-breaking number of workers During the peak of construction, more than 3,500 workers were employed, including 3,439 on a single day. About 4 ½ stories were completed each week. The building cost about $41 million to build back then, equivalent to about $535 million today. • Because of the financial effects of the Great Depression, only 23% of the ESB’s available space had been rented when the building opened. In fact, the building was given the nickname the “Empty State Building.” Workers were told to leave lights on in the building to give the impression that the building was occupied. The building was not profitable until the 1950s. Following the September 11 tragedy in 2001, and the destruction of the Twin Towers, the ESB once again became the tallest building in NYC, a title it held until the opening of the new One World Trade Center in 2012. It’s now the third-tallest in NYC, the fifth-tallest in the U.S., and 28th in the world. It receives enough mail to merit its own ZIP code, 10118. • One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, was built on the site of the original buildings destroyed on 9/11/2001. Construction began in April of 2006 and opened in November, 2014. It’s the tallest structure in New York City, and in fact, in all of the Western Hemisphere. It’s the sixth-tallest in the world. It cost nearly $4 billion to build, the most expensive building in the world at that time. About $1 billion was provided by insurance money from the 9/11 attacks. An additional $250 million came from the State of New York The Port Authority gave another $1 billion, but raised bridge and tunnel toll rates by 56% in order to raise funds. • Chicago’s Sears Tower, now known as Willis Tower, was completed in 1973, and surpassed the Twin Towers as the tallest building, and held the title for nearly 25 years until Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Petronas Towers were completed. • Rome’s Colosseum was a gift to the Roman people from the Emperor Vespasian, opening in 80 AD. To celebrate the occasion, 100 days of games, gladiator combat events, and wild animal fights were held. The stone and concrete structure contained three stories with 80 arched entrances supported by semi-circular columns, and marble seats for up to 50,000 spectators. The arena was used consistently for several centuries, but by the 6th century, it had deteriorated from use, vandalism, and from lightning strikes and earthquakes. The Colosseum was abandoned, and soon became a quarry for local building projects, including cathedrals, as well as for fortifications defending the city. Restoration efforts got under way in the 1990s, and although two-thirds of the Colosseum has been destroyed, it remains one of the city’s most popular attractions. • The name of James Hoban is not a well-known one, but his accomplishment lives on. When thenSecretary of State Thomas Jefferson organized a competition to obtain the best design for the President’s House, a striking design was submitted by this Irish immigrant. Jefferson himself presented his own design; however, he and seven others were outdone by Hoban, who went on to design many other public buildings on the eastern seaboard. The first cornerstone of the White House was laid in the Fall of 1792, and it took until late 1798 to complete the exterior. While George Washington supervised the construction, he never lived in it. John Adams was elected president in 1797, and he and his wife Abigail were the first residents, moving in when the home was nearly complete in 1800.
“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285
by Samantha Weaver * It was noted wit Ambrose Bierce who made the following sage observation: “All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher.” * You might be surprised to learn that in January 2004, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of maggots as a medical device for cleaning wounds. * Presidential security was not always as formidable as it is today. In 1913, former President Theodore Roosevelt was walking down a Milwaukee street, heading to a speech he was scheduled to give. A man named John Schrank pulled out a gun and shot toward Roosevelt, who staggered but did not fall. There was no blood evident, and Roosevelt, who was campaigning for a second term, insisted on delivering his speech. When he pulled from a coat pocket the 100 pages on which his speech was written, he saw a bullet hole through the sheets of paper. Still determined to carry on, he gave his speech before going to the hospital, where it was discovered that the bullet had penetrated four inches into his body. After the perpetrator was arrested, it became evident that Schrank was insane; he claimed that President William McKinley had revealed to him in a dream that Roosevelt was responsible for McKinley’s assassination. Schrank spent the next 32 years in an insane asylum. * If you see a group of flamingoes together in one place, it might be handy to know that the appropriate collective noun is a “flamboyance.” * The instruments used by professional flute players are usually made from precious metals -- either sterling silver, 14-carat gold or platinum. *** Thought for the Day: “It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.” -Rollo May (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Tidbits® of the River Region
* On May 30, 1593, playwright Christopher Marlowe, 29, is killed in a tavern brawl. Marlowe, a compatriot of Shakespeare, was nearly denied his master’s degree from Cambridge, until advisers to Queen Elizabeth intervened. Marlowe had been a spy for the Queen.
Phillips, Quanderious LaJohn Black/Male 6’5” 171 lbs Age: 20 Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
Outstanding Warrants: Theft of Property 4th x 2
* On May 29, 1922, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that organized baseball does not violate antitrust laws as alleged by the Baltimore franchise of the defunct Federal League in 1915. The high court held that organized baseball is not a business, but a sport. * On May 28, 1937, Volkswagen is founded in Wolfsburg, Germany. Adolf Hitler’s pet project was the mass production of an affordable vehicle that could sell for less than 1,000 Reich marks (about $140 at the time). The “People’s Car” was based on Austrian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche’s design. * On June 3, 1956, authorities in Santa Cruz, California, announce a total ban on rock and roll at public gatherings, calling the music “detrimental to both the health and morals of our youth.” A crowded dance party attended by 200 teenagers the previous evening led to the decision. * On June 2, 1967, Capt. Howard Levy, 30, a dermatologist, is convicted by a court-martial of disobeying orders for refusing to instruct Green Beret medics on skin disease, calling it a “tool of political persuasion.” Levy was sentenced to three years at hard labor. * On June 1, 1990, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign a historic agreement to end production of chemical weapons and begin the destruction of both nations’ reserves. * On May 31, 2005, W. Mark Felt’s family ends 30 years of speculation, identifying the former FBI assistant director as “Deep Throat,” the secret source who helped unravel the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon. (c) 2018 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Outstanding Warrants:
Rawls, Eric DOB: 01/06/1977 White/Male 5’10” 185 lbs Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
Wanted for: Domestic Violence 2nd/ Criminal Mischief 2nd
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“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 LEFT TO RIGHT
1. How many No. 1 hit singles did the Small Faces have over the years? 2. What happened to the song “Cheater”? 3. Did Roxy Music ever have a No. 1 hit? 4. Who originally released “No Milk Today”? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Once you told me long ago, To the prom with me you’d go, Now you’ve changed your mind, it seems, Someone else will hold my dreams.” Answers 1. Two. One in the U.K. (“All or Nothing”) and one in Canada (“Itchycoo Park.”) 2. Michael Jackson co-wrote the song for his seventh album in 1987, but it was yanked for reasons unknown. Eventually, in 2004, it was put on the “Ultimate Collection” album. 3. Yes, once, with “Jealous Guy” in 1981. Roxy Music did net two No. 2s, however, “Dance Away” (1979) and “Love Is the Drug” (1975). 4. Herman’s Hermits, 1967. Back in the day, milkmen delivered to the house. The song talks about delivering less because the lover has moved out. 5. “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation,” by Marty Robbin, in 1957. Robbins said he wrote the song in about 20 minutes while riding in a car and passing a school where students were all dressed up for their prom. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
This week, Tidbits moves from left to right, investigating those terms along the way. • We use the word “left” multiple times every day, but how would you define it? Some say “relating to the side of the body in which the heart is mostly located,” but the official definition is “the side of the body to the north when the subject is facing east.” Similarly, right is “the side of the body that is turned toward the east when the subject is facing north.” So if you don’t know your left from your right, you better have a compass nearby! • Sailors will know that port side is the left-hand side of a vessel or aircraft, as it faces forward. The right side of the vessel is the starboard side. An older version of port side is larboard, a term for the left side which dates back to about the 14th century, perhaps referring to the “loading side” of a ship, with goods loaded on that side. In the 16th century, the term “port” came into use to avoid confusion between two similar-sounding words, larboard and starboard. • A person who supports left-wing politics believes in liberalism, while right-wing folks are conservative. But the world of hockey, these terms refer to player positions, with wingers playing primarily along the outer portion of the ice. As forwards, their function is to feed the puck to the center forward, to score themselves, to disrupt the area in front of the opponent’s net, and work along the boards and in the corners. • A person who is left-handed is often called a southpaw, but “left-handed” can also refer to insincere comments, such as a two-faced compliment. • Those who believe in the theory of left-brain/ right-brain dominance maintain that all people’s thinking is controlled by the side of the brain that is more dominant. A left-brained person is believed to be more logical, analytical, and numbers-oriented, while a right-brained individual is more intuitive, thoughtful, and creative. The theory was introduced by Roger Sperry, who received the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his work. Sperry was studying the effects of epilepsy and discovered that severing the corpus callosum, the bundle of fibers that connects the brain’s two hemispheres and enables communications between the two, reduced or eliminated epileptic seizures. When the patients began to experience language difficulties, Sperry suggested that the left side controlled language. Today’s researchers say that this theory is a myth, with studies demonstrating that math ability is strongest when both hemispheres work together. Research indicates that when both sides communicate through the corpus callosum, a very broad variety of tasks are successfully completed. • Are you familiar with terms “sinistral” and “destral”? Sinistral is related to the left side, opposed to dextral, which refers to the right. • Visitors to Paris hear a lot about the Left Bank and the Right Bank, the two sides of the River Seine. The Left Bank, called “La Rive Gauche,” is the southern side of the river. It’s renowned as the artistic part of the city, and was home to famous writers and artists, including Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. It’s the location of the Eiffel Tower, the Sorbonne University, and Napoleon’s tomb. The Right Bank, or “La Rive Droite,” houses big businesses and banks, as well as the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and Tuileries Gardens.
Barbara Bennett Please call 334-202-7285 to claim your prize!
Tommy Count ______ This week’s winner receives a
$25 Dollar Gift Certificate from
Plantation House Restaurant Register to win by sending an email to entertommycontest@gmail.com or USPS to PTK Corp., PO Box 264, Wetumpka, AL 36092 with the following information: 1) Your name (first and last), and, 2) the number of times you find Tommy in the ads in the paper. From the correct entries a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $100 each week. Entries must be received by midnight each Friday evening.
Last Week’s Ads where
Tommy was hiding:
1. River Region Towing & Transportation Services, LLC, p.7
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TidbitsÂŽ of the River Region
“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 FOOD OF THE WEEK:
OLIVES
BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1) Neither; 2) Absalom; 3) Elisha; 4) Nicodemus; 5) Jacob; 6) Michal
1. Albert Pujols did it with the Angels in 2014. 2. Cesar Tovar had 36 doubles and 13 triples that season. 3. T.A. McLendon, in 2002. 4. The Phoenix Suns, in 1991. 5. Cammi Granato, who was captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won Olympic gold in 1998. 6. Michelle Kwan, in 2000-01. 7. It was 2008, when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate.
Celebrate National Olive Day on June 1 by studying up on the facts about this fruit. • There are close to 900 million olive trees around the world, with the vast majority found in Mediterranean countries, but also in Argentina, China, Saudi Arabia, Java, California, and Bermuda. Olives are in the same plant family as lilacs, jasmine, and forsythia. • An olive tree varies in height, usually between 26 and 49 feet (8 and 15 m), with an average life of between 300 and 600 years. A tree will bear its white flowers after four years, but won’t produce a worthwhile harvest of fruit for 15 years. • Olives are an ancient crop, one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible. A dove carried an olive branch to Noah on his ark to show that the flood was over. Moses ruled olive growers as exempt from military service. Ancient Greeks anointed kings with olive oil, and athletes’ bodies and hair were rubbed with oil for grooming and good health. The oil was used as a sacrificial offering, and was burned in temple lamps and in the original Olympic Games’ “eternal flame.” Olympic champions were crowned with a wreath of the plant’s leaves. Women in ancient Greece concocted eye shadow out of ground charcoal and olive oil. Oil was also applied to the skin and hair as protection from the sun as well as for a lovely fragrance. • Egyptian pharaohs’ tombs contained carvings of olives. References to olives were discovered in a 2000-year-old Roman cookbook. Greek physician Hippocrates referred to olive oil as “the great therapeutic,” while the poet Homer called it “golden liquid,” and named the olive “gold of the ground.” • The olive branch is symbolic of peace and the ancients used it to declare a truce by presenting it to their enemies. The branch is part of the flags of seven nations, four U.S. states, and the United Nations’ flag. • The majority of olives are harvested by shaking the tree’s boughs. Raw olives are green and turn yellow and then to darker shades, including red, brown, and purple, as they ripen. A ripe olive is dark purple to black. Olives picked right off the tree are not edible, and must be cured and fermented to remove a bitter phenolic compound called oleuropein. This is accomplished by treating them with lye or a salty brine. Most canned black olives have been artificially colored to increase the blackness. Some manufacturers cure olives naturally with oil or brine and additives such as wine vinegar. • About 90% of olives are turned into oil. About 2.25 million liters (approx. 595,000 U.S. gallons) of olive oil are consumed worldwide annually. Oil content is about 20%. Oil is a rich source of Vitamins A, B, E, and K, as well as natural antioxidants, Omega-6 and Omega-3. It’s believed to help prevent heart disease, and to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, while strengthening the immune system. One extra large olive contains only 7 calories. • The wood of the olive tree is very hard and durable, and is used for carving and furnituremaking. It’s prized for the interesting patterns in the grain. • An olive tree found in Croatia has been dated to about 1,600 years old, and still produces about 66 lbs. (30 kg) of fruit annually, which is made into oil.
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Fresh Rhubarb Custard Pie Skipping through winding trails, spotting leaping frogs along creek beds and counting deer as they pass by the front porch are a few of the adventures in store for 6-yearold Georgia and her older sister, Eliza, when they visit their grandparents’ home nestled deep in the Wisconsin woods. What a delight for city kids from St. Louis! Like a page out of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic, “Little House in the Big Woods” (set in Wisconsin), many of the girls’ experiences mirror the lifestyle and pioneer spirit of the late 1800s. For Georgia, walking on a dead-end road to the rhubarb patch in May to harvest giant leafy stalks and, together with grandmother Nancy, prepare rhubarb sauce to ladle over breakfast pancakes, and bake rhubarb custard pie for evening dessert is a delight. “Georgia is the baker and loves to cook,” says Nancy, a recently retired school administrator. “She washes and dices the stalks, cracks eggs and measures carefully. It’s fun!” she adds. “Cooking together is a way to share a common interest.” Like the first robin, the greening grass and the budding trees, add “first rhubarb pie” to your family’s “signs of spring” list. Whether you harvest rhubarb from your garden, or find stalks in your grocery produce section, give Nancy’s winning rhubarb custard pie recipe a try with your kids while rhubarb is fresh and in season. FRESH RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE Pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie 1 1/3 cups sugar (add more according to taste) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Dash of salt 3 eggs 4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced 2 tablespoons firm butter 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Fit pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside. 3. Let your child measure and stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. 3. Beat eggs until smooth. 4. Stir dry mixture into beaten eggs. Add diced rhubarb. Stir. 5. Fill the crust evenly with the rhubarb mixture. Dot with firm butter. (Cover edge with 2-to-3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if you wish. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.) 6. Bake for 50 minutes. 7. Cool, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. NOTE: If you are new to fresh rhubarb, be aware that the large leaves are poisonous. *** Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday. com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.” (c) 2018 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.
Tidbits® of the River Region