Tommy Contest Page 5
of the River Region
July 24, 2018 Published by PTK Corp.
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 TIDBITS® TAKES A SWING AT
GOLF by Kathy Wolfe Fore! Golf season is in full swing! Let’s celebrate July as Family Golf Month with an assortment of facts about this popular sport. • As early as the Roman Empire, sports enthusiasts were playing a primitive form of golf, known as paganica, which used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. The origins of our more modern game are in Scotland in the 1400s. The game of “gowf” as the Scots called it, was so popular that in 1457, King James II of Scotland banned the sport because men were neglecting archery practice, a necessity for the country’s national defense. In 1502, King James IV rescinded the ban, and actually became a golfer himself. • Although the Scots have been playing on the Links at St. Andrews throughout the 1400s, it wasn’t until 1552 that it was officially chartered by the Archbishop, giving the people of St. Andrews the right to play there. Up until 1764, the Old Course at St. Andrews had 22 holes. It was re-routed into 18 holes, which became the standard for the game around the world. • Mary Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567, was an avid golfer who was strongly rebuked by her subjects for playing golf just a few days after her husband was murdered in 1567, failing to properly mourn his death. • Mary Queen of Scots is reportedly the one who brought the word “caddy” to the game. She used French cadets to assist her on the course. “Cadet” is the French word for “student,” pronounced “cad-DAY”, giving us our modern term. • Early golf balls were created from hard leather, but around 1724, the composition was changed to a thin leather stuffed with feathers. These remained popular until 1848 when the gutta percha ball was introduced, a solid ball made from the dried sap of a Sapodilla tree. Strips of the sap were softened in boiling water, then molded by hand, and placed in cold water to harden. In (Continued next page)
Vol 7 Issue 30 paul@riverregiontidbits.com
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Tidbits® of the River Region (Front page continued)
1. Is the book of Ishmael in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. From 2 Samuel 11, who received a letter from David telling to put Uriah into battle? Gideon, Ahab, Isaac, Joab 3. Which metal, used to sharpen others, does Proverbs 27 compare to friends? Gold, Silver, Iron, Tin 4. Who told God that Job would curse Thee to His face? Moses, Satan, Bethel, Caleb 5. Matthew, the tax collector, was known by what other name? Levi, Felix, Reuben, Jehu 6. From Mark 6, who called Herod an adulterer? Samson, Jacob, John the Baptist, Zimri “Test Your Bible Knowledge,” a new book with 1,206 multiple-choice questions by columnist Wilson Casey, is now available in stores and online. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
By Chris Richcreek 1. Five pitchers have tossed a no-hitter in both the American League and the National League. Name three of them. 2. Dave McNally won 20-plus games for four consecutive years for Baltimore (1968-71). In how many of those years did at least one teammate also win 20 or more games? 3. When was the last time before 2016 that Penn State’s football team won an outright Big Ten championship? 4. In 2017, Chris Paul became the third-fastest NBA player (806 games) to reach 15,000 points and 8,000 assists for a career. Who was faster? 5. When was the last time the Carolina Hurricanes made the NHL playoffs? 6. In 2017, Christian Pulisic became the youngest winner (19) of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Male Player of the Year award. Who had been the youngest? 7. When Manny Pacquiao became the first boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions, how many of them were considered lineal titles? (c) 2018 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
1901, the Haskell golf ball made its debut, a rubbercored ball that traveled farther than the gutta percha ball, with the added benefit of a much cheaper cost to produce. The dimples in today’s golf balls decrease aerodynamic drag, allowing the ball to fly farther. A smooth golf ball would travel about half as far as a dimpled one. A golf ball has between 300 and 500 dimples, each about 0.010 inch (0.03 cm) deep. • What is recognized as the world’s first organized golf club was founded in 1744. Established as the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, the group would later become known as the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, a group that was responsible for drawing up the first set of official rules for the game. • Golf came to the U.S. via two Scotsmen, who first demonstrated the game in 1888, and set up a golf club that same year in Yonkers, New York. The U.S. PGA was formed in 1916, with the first PGA tournament held that year. • The world’s oldest golf tournament is The Open Championship, better known as the British Open. It was first played in 1860 at Scotland’s Prestwick Golf Club, and played there until 1870. The Open is always played in Scotland, England, or Northern Ireland. The Open is one of the four major championships in men’s pro golf. The other three – The Masters, The U.S. Open, and PGA Championship – are all played in the United States. All four championships together are called the Grand Slam. • Although the Grand Slam has never been accomplished in a single year, five golfers have won all four during their career. At age 32, Gene Sarazen captured his final Grand Slam tournament in 1935, followed by 40-year-old Ben Hogan in 1953. Gary Player was 29 when he wrapped up the Grand Slam in 1965. Jack Nicklaus has won three Grand Slams, the first at age 26 in 1966. Tiger Woods came close to winning the four tournaments in one year, but finished his first Slam over two years at age 24. Tiger has since won two more Slams, and holds the record as the youngest golfer to complete the feat. • Since its inception in 1934, The Masters has been played at Augusta, Georgia’s National Golf Club, and is the only major tournament that is played at the same course every year. During World War II, the course was closed for three years, and used to raise cattle and turkeys in support of the war effort. • Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida’s Sawgrass Stadium Course is the permanent home of the PGA Tour’s The Players Championship. About 125,000 golf balls are hit into the water every year on the courses’s famous 17th “island” hole. • How well do you know golfing terms? Most folks know that each hole is classified by its par, which means the number of strokes a golfer should require to complete the hole. The minimum par is three – a stroke from the tee and two putts. One stroke under par is called a birdie, while two strokes under par is an eagle. Three strokes under par can be a double eagle or an albatross. The term condor refers to four strokes under par, an almost-impossible score to achieve. Only four condors have been recorded, all of which were a hole-in-one on a par-5 hole. Golfers who go over par might record a bogey (one stroke over), a double bogey (two strokes over), or a triple bogey (three strokes). • American golfer Ab Smith had an excellent shot back in 1899, and he described it as a “bird of a shot,” giving golfers the term “birdie,” one under par. • When a golfer sinks the ball into the cup on the first stroke from the tee, it’s a hole-in- one, also called an ace. The casual golfer’s odds of making a hole in one are about 12,500 to one, but change considerably for a golf pro to 2,500 to 1. Those who hope to make two holes in one during a single round are looking at odds of about 67,000,000 to 1. • Golf shots have various names, depending on how far the ball needs to be moved. The “drive” or “full swing” is the initial shot on a hole when the ball is to be moved a long distance, and typically shot with a long-shafted, large-headed wood club known as a driver. For medium distances, the “approach” or “3/4 swing” is used. Golfers use the “chip” or “halfswing” for relatively short distances near the green. Once the ball reaches the green, the golfer “putts” the ball into the hole.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was American astronomer, astrophysicist and author Carl Sagan who made the following sage observation: “The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” * It’s not clear why lawmakers in the state of Alabama once thought it necessary to pass a law forbidding the operation of a vehicle while wearing a blindfold. * Though coffee has been around for about 700 years, instant coffee wasn’t invented until 1906. By George Washington. Of course not that George Washington. The man who made coffee more convenient -- and less palatable -- was from Belgium. * There seems to be quite a rivalry between the towns of Rosehill, North Carolina, and Wilmington, Delaware. Both locales claim to be the home of the world’s largest frying pan, with a diameter of 10 feet. This begs some questions, of course: How many eggs are being fried at once to require such a large piece of cookware? And what sort of stove is required to heat such a mammoth pan? * If you’re like the average American, you’ll eat about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime. * Those who study such things say that 70 percent of southern Nevada’s water use goes through the sprinklers for golf courses and lawns in Las Vegas. * It’s not surprising that the word “fondue” comes from the French verb “fondre,” which means “to melt.” * Do you know anyone who is xanthodontous? If so, you might want to refer them to someone specializing in cosmetic dentistry. “Xanthodontous” means “having yellow teeth.” *** Thought for the Day: “Laughter is a form of internal jogging.” -- Norman Cousins (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Tidbits® of the River Region
* On July 29, 1588, off the coast of France, Spain’s “Invincible Armada” is defeated by an English naval force under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake. After eight hours of furious fighting, a change in wind direction prompted the Spanish to retreat toward the North Sea.
Munroe Jr., George Eugene White/Male 5’6” 145 lbs 32 yrs old Hair: Red Eyes: Blue
Outstanding Warrants: Theft Of Property 2nd Criminal Trespass 2nd
* On July 27, 1921, at the University of Toronto, Canadian scientists successfully isolate insulin -- a hormone they believe could prevent diabetes -- for the first time. The first test subject, a teenager, was treated with insulin injections and improved dramatically. * On July 28, 1932, President Herbert Hoover orders the U.S. Army under Gen. Douglas MacArthur to evict by force 20,000 Bonus Marchers from the nation’s capital. The World War I veterans were seeking early payment of money they were owed. When 2,000 refused to leave, MacArthur set their camps on fire. * On July 26, 1956, the Suez Crisis begins when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes the British and French-owned Suez Canal, hoping to charge tolls. The Suez Canal was completed by French engineers in 1869. * On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization, is born in England to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. The Browns later had a second daughter, Natalie, also through IVF. * On July 23, 1982, Vic Morrow and two child actors are killed in a crash involving a helicopter during filming on the California set of “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” The actor and children were shooting a Vietnam War battle scene. * On July 24, 1998, Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic, “Saving Private Ryan,” is released in theaters. The film was praised for its authentic portrayal of war and won five Oscars, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. (c) 2018 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Outstanding Warrants:
McCall, Lamarkus DOB: 09/03/1991 Black/Male 5’7” 160 lbs Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
Wanted for: Possesson of Controlled Substance
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1. What was the name of the instrument played in the bridge solo of “Runaway,” by Del Shannon? 2. Who released the song “Nag”? 3. Name Barry White’s first No. 1 song. 4. What was the original name for The Five Man Electrical Band? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “They say you really mean it, This guy’s the one that makes you feel, So safe, so sane and so secure.” Answers 1. A clavioline, but it had been reworked by Max Crook (playing the solo) into what he called the Musitron. In “Runaway,” the bridge was written first, before the rest of the song. 2. The Halos, in 1961. The song went to No. 25 on Billboard. 3. “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby,” in 1973 on the R&B chart. The song also charted (although not as well) on international charts. 4. The Staccatos, until 1968. Their big hit was “Signs” in 1971. 5. “The Worst That Could Happen,” by the Brooklyn Bridge in 1968. Oddly enough, the song appeared on the Clear Channel Communications 165-song list memo to all its stations after Sept. 11 of songs that should not be played on the air. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
• Lady golfers got into the scene in 1893 when the Ladies’ Golf Union was formed in the UK, and the inaugural British Ladies’ Amateur Golf Championship was held. The U.S. Ladies’ Professional Golfers’ Association was founded in 1950, although Babe Didrikson was already a famous lady golfer by that time, having been the first American to win the British Women’s Amateur title in 1947. Although Didrikson attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open in 1948, her application was rejected because the event was open to men only. She had already won two Olympic gold medals and one silver in track and field and was an All-American basketball player before turning her attention to golf, where she won 10 major LPGA championships. • The first person to play golf on the moon was astronaut Alan Shepard while a member of the Apollo 14 crew. In February, 1971, Shepard took a six-iron and two golf balls aboard the spacecraft with him, and attempted two drives, the second of which went more than 200 yards (183 m). • If golfers want to play on the world’s highest golf course, they will have to travel to Morococha, Peru, where the Tactu Golf Club sits 14,335 feet (4,369 m) above sea level. To play on the world’s northernmost golf course, a trip to Iceland’s Akureyri Golf Club will be required. Those playing stateside will have $500 in green fees for 18 holes at America’s most expensive public course, Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. Massachusetts is home to the world’s longest golf course, a par-77 course measuring 8,325 yards (7,612 m). • The 1900 Paris Olympic Games included the game of golf, with 22 male and female athletes from 4 countries competing in a 36-hole game. It was an Olympic event at the following Olympics in St. Louis in 1904. The sport was absent from the Games for the next 112 years before being revived in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro games, when 120 golfers from 41 countries participated. • Tiger Woods may have made his first hole-inone at age six, with another 17 after that, but he’s not the youngest person to shoot one. That honor belongs to Colorado’s Coby Orr, who, in 1975, at age five, shot a hole-in-one in Littleton, Colorado. • Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus had his first PGA Tour winnings, $33.33, at the 1962 L.A. Open. Later that year, he was the winner of the U.S. Open, receiving $17,500. He finished the year with more than $60,000 in prize money. In 1963, at age 22, he became the then-youngest golfer to win the Masters. He won again in 1965 and 1966, becoming the tournament’s first backto-back winner. In 1986, at age 46, Nicklaus was the oldest player to win The Masters. His final round of pro golf was the 2005 British Open, played at the St. Andrews course. • Slugger Hank Aaron may have had 3,771 hits over the course of his baseball career, but had this to say about golf: “It took me 17 years to get 3,000 hits. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.” • America’s first 18-hole golf course was on an Illinois sheep farm, established in 1892. The nation’s first golf club opened there in Downers Grove, Illinois, the following year. The golf course is still there at the original site.
Kris Hendershot Please call 334-202-7285 within 7 days of this issue to claim your prize!
Tommy Count ______ This week’s winner receives a
$25 Dollar Gift Certificate from
The Gab 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. Mil Spec Cleaning LLC, p.6 2. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, 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:
CHICKEN WINGS
BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1) Neither; 2) Joab; 3) Iron; 4) Satan; 5) Levi; 6) John the Baptist
1. Jim Bunning, Randy Johnson, Hideo Nomo, Nolan Ryan and Cy Young. 2. Three -- 1969 (Mike Cuellar), 1970 (Jim Palmer, Cuellar) and 1971 (Pat Dobson, Palmer and Cuellar). 3. It was 1994. 4. Magic Johnson (765 games) and Oscar Robertson (784). 5. It was the 2008-09 season, when Carolina lost in the conference finals. 6. Landon Donovan was 21 when he won the award in 2003. 7. Five (flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight, light welterweight, welterweight).
Did you know that July 29 is International Chicken Wing Day? Let’s commemorate the day by studying up on these facts. • Legend has it that Buffalo wings trace their origins back to 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked up a late-night snack for her son and his friends by deep-frying chicken wings and tossing them in a hot sauce and butter sauce. She added some celery and bleu cheese to the platter, and before long, the dish was in high demand. In 1977, Buffalo’s mayor Stan Makowski declared July 29 as the day to honor the popular appetizer. Today, more than 70,000 lbs. (31,751 kg) of chicken wings are served up at the Anchor Bar every month. • Although ranch dressing is the most popular dipping sauce for chicken wings, bleu cheese isn’t far behind. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce was the sauce used in the first batch of wings. • Each chicken wing has three sections attached by two hinges. One section contains the humerus bone and is called the drumette because of its resemblance to a mini-drumstick. The flat section contains the ulna and the radius, which contain less meat, but a better flavor, according to many, perhaps because of a greater concentration of fat. • The popularity of wings took a huge jump when the Buffalo Bills football team appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1963 to 1966. About 1.33 billion wings are consumed nationwide on that day, enough to circle the Earth nearly three times. Wings are the second most popular snack on that Sunday (dips and spreads are #1), and about 23% of viewers eat wings. • The average wing-eater consumes about 12 wings in one sitting, with the average American eating 90 wings a year. Those wing fans aged 18 to 24 munch about 61% more wings than any other age group. People in the South eat more wings than any other region, even edging out the Northeast where the wings originated. The Pacific Northwest eats the least. • The well-known restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings didn’t get its start in Buffalo, but rather in Columbus, Ohio. But the two founders Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery were former Buffalo residents who loved chicken wings. After a move to Ohio in 1982, the pair opened up their first restaurant, a franchise that has grown to having an outlet in every state in the Union. They dish up about 21 million wings each week, although on Super Bowl Sunday alone, that number is close to 8 million. A typical weekend at Buffalo Wild Wings has sales of about 6,000 wings at each restaurant, but that number jumps to 13,500 on Super Bowl Sunday. • Every year on the Friday before the Super Bowl, Philadelphia plays host to the Wing Bowl, a competition for chicken wing eating. Competitive eater Molly Schuyler has nabbed the prize for three out of the last five years. In 2018, she broke the previous record by gobbling down 501 wings in 30 minutes. • Buffalo, New York, holds its own National Buffalo Wing Festival each year, attracting more than 50,000 visitors annually. This festival supports local charities and has donated more than $345,000 to local causes since its founding 17 years ago.
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Plaster Casting Art at a Sandy Beach
Heading for the beach by the sea or a lake? Along with towels, sunscreen and flip-flops, bring along a carton of plaster of Paris, a paper cup and an empty quart-size can or plastic recycled food container to make a unique piece of natural art that will last -- and decorate your yard or deck when you get back home. You can even make a terrific creation in your own backyard sandbox if you don’t live near the water. If your kids have made plaster handprints in school, they’ll be familiar with the following and easy howtos. To make a mold in damp sand: Use your hands to scoop out a free-form design at least 2 inches deep. If you are at an ocean beach, just be sure the tide won’t be coming in for at least a couple of hours. You also can make a mold using toys such as a plastic fish or crab. Press the toy into the sand to make the shape, and then remove the toy. Any connecting areas in your design should be at least 2 inches wide to keep the final plaster project from breaking. To add interest, press some natural objects you collect on the beach into the base of the sand mold, such as shells, rocks, twigs and bark or driftwood. Pour a cup or two of fresh or seawater into the disposable container. Add the powdered plaster according to directions on the box and stir with a stick. The mixture should be smooth and thick like a milkshake. Don’t overstir, however, as this causes the mixture to set up too quickly and weakens the final product. Immediately pour the mixture into your sand mold, spreading it evenly to all areas with a stick, if necessary. To make a hanger for your art: Poke a paper clip halfway into the plaster at the center top as the plaster thickens. If the project is large, you may wish to position two paper clips evenly spaced from each side. Allow the plaster to harden for about an hour and a half, depending on the size of the mold, and then carefully remove the plaster souvenir from the sand. Dispose of leftover hard plaster in a trash can. Take a picture of your pleased kids holding their creations before you head home. Wrap your art loosely with newspaper, and let it dry and harden completely. Glue on additional decorations, if you wish. NOTE: Never pour liquid plaster down a drain. *** 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