Tommy Contest Page 5
of the River Region
August 7, 2018 Published by PTK Corp.
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read® To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 TIDBITS® DELIVERS THE FACTS ON
MONOby Kathy Wolfe The prefix “mono” means “single” or “one” in the English language. Tidbits takes a look at an assortment of words beginning with this prefix and their unusual meanings. • The scientific term for identical twins is “monozygotic,” which means that they develop from one fertilized egg that splits and forms two embryos. Monozygotic twins are always the same gender, have identical blood, and closely resemble each other. Fraternal twins, or dizygotic twins, are fertilized in separate eggs. • Mathematicians will know that a monomial is an algebraic expression with only one term. For example, 4x + 2x + 3 is not a monomial because there are three different terms. 3y + 8 is also not monomial, with its two different terms. However, 8xy is a monomial because it has only one term. Monomials also cannot have a negative or fractional exponent. • A living thing that is monogastric has a singlechambered stomach. Humans, rats, pigs, dogs, cats, horses and rabbits are all monogastric. The opposite of monogastric is ruminant, those mammals that have a stomach divided into four compartments, for example, cattle, sheep, deer, antelope, goats, camels, and giraffes. • Most of us have probably seen an example of a monolith, a single massive rock, often made of igneous rock, the result of volcanic activity. Well-known examples are Nebraska’s Chimney Rock, Georgia’s Stone Mountain, Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower, and The Rock of Gibraltar. A monolith might also be a statue carved from bedrock, such as the Sphinx on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. Frequently, monumental monoliths are in the form of an obelisk or column. • According to folklore, Monongy, a man-fish, lives in the Monongahela River, a 130-mile-long (210 km) river that flows from south to north from Fairmont, West Virginia, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Monogahela, which translates from the Native American word (Continued next page)
Vol 7 Issue 32 paul@riverregiontidbits.com
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Tidbits® of the River Region (Front page continued)
1. Is the book of Haman in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. From Genesis 21, Abraham banished Hagar and whom else to the desert? Laish, Haman, Ishmael, Laban 3. By reasonable numbering which commandment is, “Thou shalt not kill”? 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th 4. Samson was put into prison as a political enemy of ...? Romans, Israelites, Philistines, Assyrians 5. From Matthew 17, whom did Jesus send fishing to find tax money? Andrew, Peter, Paul, Thomas 6. After her first husband died, who did Ruth marry? Isaiah, Ahab, Boaz, Jehu Sharpen your understanding of scripture with Wilson’s Casey’s latest book, “Test Your Bible Knowledge,” now available in bookstores and online. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
By Chris Richcreek 1. In 2017, Edinson Volquez tossed the sixth no-hitter in Miami Marlins history. Name three of the first five to do it. 2. What was the highest batting average legendary St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson had during any one season? 3. Name the coach of the San Diego State football team the first time it won 11 games in a season as a Division I program in 1969. (Hint: He went on to become a wellknown NFL coach.) 4. Who is the all-time blocked shots leader for the Oklahoma City Thunder? 5. Carey Price set a Montreal Canadiens franchise record in 2018 for most career games in goal. Who had held the mark? 6. In how many decades did Richard Petty win at least one of his seven NASCAR Cup season championships? 7. Caroline Wozniacki set a record in 2018 with the longest span between times holding the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings (six years). Who had held the mark? (c) 2018 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
meaning “falling banks” or “where banks cave in and erode,” joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River at Pittsburgh. “Falling banks” refers to the instability of the river’s banks. There have been numerous sightings of Monongy dating back as far as the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763), as well as a craze from the 1930s to the 1950s, when spectators reported weekly sightings. In 2003, a fisherman captured pictures of the sea creature, which were posted online for a time, but mysteriously taken down. Certain cryptozoologists visit the Monongahela every year searching for the bizarre beast. To add to the mystery, in 1956, a B-25 World War II bomber crashed into the River, floated for a short time, then disappeared into the waters. Two of the six crewman were killed and the plane was never recovered. • Those who create monochromatic paintings, drawings, or photographs use a single color, usually in varying tones. The value of the hue is changed by adding black or white to the original color. A painter might also use different textures of the same color to create an unusual variation of the same color. • There are only five species of monotremes, the most ancient order of mammals, left on Earth. The amphibious platypus and four species of echidna, or spiny anteaters, are all found only in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. They are the only mammals that lay eggs. The platypus is an unusual composite of features – the bill and webbed feet of a duck, the tail of a beaver, and the body and fur of an otter. The platypus isn’t very big – just 20 inches long (50.8 cm), including a 5-inch (12.7-cm) tail, weighing just 3 lbs. (1.4 kg). The desert-dwelling echinas are spiky little creatures with extra-long claws that make them superior diggers and tree climbers. • The official term for the food additive MSG is monosodium glutamate. It’s a naturally-occurring salt of glutamic acid, one of the most plentiful amino acids found in several foods, including tomatoes and cheese, and also naturally present in our bodies. Glutamate was first extracted from a seaweed broth by a Japanese professor in 1908, when he discovered that it provided a savory taste. Today it is produced under many trade names, with “Accent” a popular brand. Not everyone can tolerate MSG, as it can produce headaches, sweats, numbness, heart palpitations, chest pain, and nausea in those intolerant individuals. • Only about 3% of mammal species are monogamous, mating for life, with a larger percentage of birds having monogamous relationships. Mammals include gibbon apes, wolves, voles, and beavers. Avian species include turtle doves, swans, sandhill cranes, pigeons, condors, bald eagles, and black vultures. Black vultures actually attack unfaithful members of their species, while bald eagles often return year after year to the same nest. • In 1959, the Disneyland monorail opened as a unique method of transporting visitors around the theme park. But this famous monorail was by no means the first. The first prototype of the craft, with a track consisting of a single rail, was created in Russia in 1820, with a patent taken out the following year for a monorail in London, the first to carry passengers. Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition world’s fair in 1876 featured the Centennial Monorail. When the Disneyland train debuted, it was the first permanent daily-operating monorail in the United States. Walt Disney conceived the idea after traveling in Germany, where he and his wife rode on a monorail that had been operating for more than 50 years. The monorail in Orlando’s Disney World opened in 1971. Today, it’s estimated that about 500 million people ride the Disney trains every year. Their annual travel distance is more than 60,000 miles (96,560 km) annually. • The Chongqing, China monorail transports 500,000 riders per day, the largest and busiest system in the world. • Mononucleosis, also known as glandular fever, is an infection transmitted through saliva, which has led the way to the nickname “the kissing disease.” But you can also contract mono through a cough or a sneeze, or by sharing dishes or utensils with someone who has it. Although people view it as highly contagious, it isn’t as infectious as the common cold. Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which produces deep fatigue. A fever lasting up to 14 days, along with a severe sore throat and swollen glands are among the infection’s results. Although most feel better in two to four weeks, the fatigue might last for months, as can the swollen glands and body aches.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was French playwright Albert Guinon who made the following sage observation: “There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.” * You may not be surprised to learn that, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press, Americans hate math twice as much as any other subject. * A study published in 2008 showed that the price of a pain medication had an effect on its efficacy. In the study people were given placebo pills, some at the regular price and some at a discounted price. Those who paid full price for the medication reported more relief than those who paid less. * During Elizabethan times, it was customary in England for a wife to wear her wedding ring on her thumb.Ê * It seems no one can adequately explain the reason why women tend to strike matches away from themselves, while men tend to strike them toward themselves. * Dominique Bouhours, a Frenchman who lived in the 17thÊcentury, was a priest, an essayist and a grammarian. The love of language may have been closest to his heart, though; it’s been reported that the final words he uttered on his deathbed were, “I am about to -- or I am going to -die; either expression is used.” * Those who study such things say that sea slugs have 25,000 teeth. * The town of Waco, Texas, has an entire museum dedicated to the popular soda Dr Pepper. Even more surprising is the fact that it gets more than a hundred visitors a day, on average.Ê *** Thought for the Day: “It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -- Bill Watterson (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Tidbits® of the River Region
* On Aug. 10, 1793, after more than two centuries as a royal palace, the Louvre is opened as a public museum in Paris by the French revolutionary government. Today the Louvre’s collection is one of the richest in the world, with artwork and artifacts representative of 11,000 years of human civilization and culture.
Harrison, Dwone Carnell Black/Male 5’8” 185 lbs 37 yrs old Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
Outstanding Warrants: Making Terrorist Threats
* On Aug. 6, 1862, the C.S.S. Arkansas, the most feared Confederate ironclad on the Mississippi River, is blown up by her crew after suffering mechanical problems during a battle with the U.S.S. Essex near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The ship was 165 feet long and 35 feet wide. * On Aug. 9, 1936, at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, black American track star Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal of the Games in the 4x100meter relay. His team’s world record of 39.8 seconds stood for 20 years. * On Aug. 7, 1947, Kon-Tiki, a balsa wood raft captained by Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, completes a 4,300-mile, 101day journey from Peru to an archipelago near Tahiti. Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theory that prehistoric South Americans could have colonized Polynesia by drifting on ocean currents. * On Aug. 12, 1953, less than one year after the United States tested its first hydrogen bomb, the Soviet Union detonates a 400-kiloton device in Kazakhstan. The explosive power was 30 times that of the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. * On Aug. 8, 1968, at the Republican National Convention in Miami, Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew are chosen as the presidential and vicepresidential nominees for the upcoming election. In 1974 on this day, Nixon would announce his resignation as president. * On Aug. 11, 1973, “American Graffiti,” a nostalgic coming-of-age tale set in the car-centric culture of suburban California, is released in theaters across the U.S. The movie went on to become a sleeper hit. (c) 2018 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Outstanding Warrants:
Williamson, Christopher DOB: 11/29/1979 White/Male 5’8” 160 lbs Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
Wanted for: Theft of Property 1st 2 counts/ Breaking/Entering Vehicle
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“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285 LIGHTHOUSES
1. Who released “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,” and when? 2. Name the artist who was first to release “It Might as Well Rain Until September.” 3. Who’s got electric boots and a mohair suit? 4. What band had a debut single titled “Walkin’ on the Sun”? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “I’ve been in love so many times, Thought I knew the score, But now you’ve treated me so wrong, I can’t take anymore.” Answers 1. Gladys Knight & the Pips, in 1973. It’s been covered by others, including Joe Cocker and Bobby Bland. 2. Songwriter Carole King, in 1962. She’d written the song for Bobby Vee, but released it herself instead -it was her first success. Vee recorded it the following year. 3. Bennie, the leader of the band Bennie and the Jets, the song by Elton John. He didn’t want the song to be released as a single -- he considered the song “odd.” 4. Smash Mouth, in 1997. 5. “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” The song was written for the musical “Promises, Promises” in 1968. A number of artists covered the song, including Dionne Warwick, Bobby Gentry and Johnny Mathis. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
In observance of Lighthouse Day on August 7, Tidbits is shining a light on the facts about these structures. • Intended as a navigational aid to guide mariners to safe harbor, at first, lighthouses were simply large bonfires built on hillsides to warn of dangerous reefs, coastlines, and shoals, and to direct ships into port. Later the fires were placed on an elevated platform, leading to the development of lighthouses. • The first known lighthouse served Alexandria, Egypt. Completed around 280 B.C., the 350-foot (106.7-m)-tall structure was a guide until it was destroyed during an earthquake in the 1300s. • In 1782, a Swiss scientist named Aime Argand invented a lamp with a steady smokeless flame, for use with wicks soaked in whale oil or olive oil, surrounding the flame with ground glass for reflection, increasing the light’s visibility. Kerosene became the fuel of choice in the 1870s. In 1901, a vaporized oil burner was introduced that outperformed the luminosity of oil lights by over six times. Acetylene gas was the next fuel to come into use. Electricity came into wide use in lighthouses at the turn of the 20th century. • Luminosity of lighthouse lamps increased greatly in 1821 when a new lens was developed by French physicist Augustine Fresnel, a lens that focused 85% of the fuel’s light, increasing visibility to more than 20 miles (32 km) out. The lens system is still in use today. • The world’s tallest lighthouse can be found in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Built in 1990, the Jeddah Light stands 436 feet (133 m) tall and is located at the edge of the city’s north seaport. Its light that flashes three times every 20 seconds can be seen for 28.5 miles (46 km). • The Tower of Hercules, constructed by the Romans in the early part of the second century, is the world’s oldest working lighthouse. Located in northwestern Spain, this ancient structure has a height of 180.5 feet (55 m). • The first lighthouse in the U.S. Colonies was built at the entrance to Boston Harbor on Little Brewster Island in 1716. It was destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War in 1776, with its replacement built in 1783, a tower that remains in operation, the only U.S. lighthouse that is still manned. • The oldest operational lighthouse in the U.S. stands at the mouth of the Hudson River in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The octagonal tower, painted red and white, was put into use in 1764. America’s last permanent lighthouse was built in 1932. It stands on Anacapa Island in one of the country’s newest national parks, Channel Islands National Park, established in 1980, 60 miles (96.5 km) off the coast of southern California. • Bishop Rock is a tiny island 30 miles off the coast of England, just 151 feet (46 m) long and 52.5 feet (16 m) wide. The isle has nothing but an uninhabited 160-ft (49 m)-tall lighthouse dating back to 1858. The Rock has been the cause of many shipwrecks over the years, including one wreck resulting in 2,000 deaths. The lighthouse’s last keepers left in 1992, and it has operated automatically since then. • Before the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, the Montauk Point Lighthouse was the first landmark seen by generations of immigrants entering New York Harbor. It was built in 1797 at the enormous cost of $22,300. The Statue of Liberty was actually a lighthouse as well from 1886 until 1902, with the torch holding an electric light visible for 24 miles (38.6 km).
Keith W. Carr 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
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 1. Country Financial, p.2 2. CBD Oil, p.5 3. Sports Wearhouse, p.6
Tommy was hiding:
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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:
OYSTERS
BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1) Neither; 2) Ishmael; 3) 6th; 4) Philistines; 5) Peter; 6) Boaz
1. Al Leiter, Kevin Brown, A.J. Burnett, Anibal Sanchez and Henderson Alvarez. 2. Gibson hit .303 in the 1970 season. 3. Don Coryell. 4. Serge Ibaka, with 1,300 blocked shots (2009-16). 5. Jacques Plante was in goal for 556 games for Montreal (1952-63). 6. Petty won it twice in the 1960s and five times in the 1970s. 7. Serena Williams went five-plus years between No. 1 appearances.
Tidbits is celebrating National Oyster Day on August 5 by diving down to retrieve these facts. • Oysters are “protandrous alternating hermaphrodites,” which simply means have the unusual ability to change their gender. They begin life as sperm-producing males and switch to eggproducing females the next spawning season. While they usually end their lives as females, it’s entirely possible for these shellfish to switch back to the male gender again. • The female can release well over a million eggs for fertilization during the spawning season, and perhaps as many as 200 million. However, only a small percentage develop into mature larvae, and an even smaller amount can find a suitable hard surface on which to attach. The larvae will swim around for three to four weeks before attaching. Once the larvae attach themselves, they are called “spat,” and as they grow, they form themselves around the surface and around other oysters in the bed. • A Pacific oyster might reach 4 inches (10 cm) in shell size by the time it’s two years old. • Humans have been eating oysters since prehistoric times. A system of cultivating these shellfish was developed by a merchant who lived during the Roman Empire. In the first century B.C., Sergius Orata created artificial oyster beds with optimal growing conditions, and became quite wealthy supplying the delicacy to Roman citizens. • Although most American oysters are of the same species, they don’t all taste the same. Their flavor is derived from their environment, with varying levels of salt in the water affecting the taste, as well as the different types of algae or plankton consumed by the oyster. So if you’re eating a Gulf oyster, a Blue Point, or a Quonset Point oyster, they are the same species, but are named after the locations where they have been harvested. • Oysters are very nutritious, providing a rich supply of protein, Vitamins A, C, D, and B-12, along with copper, iodine, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and zinc. Eating four oysters a day provides a person with the daily supply of essential minerals. Research indicates eating oysters may sharpen your memory. They can be eaten cooked or raw, but remember that even though they have a shelf life of up to four weeks, their taste deteriorates as they age. They are best stored in the refrigerator, not frozen, and not in water. • If you think you might happen onto a pearl when dining on oysters, you’ll be disappointed since the pearl oyster family is different from the edible type. A pearl is formed when a grain of sand or other particle gets trapped inside the shell. The fish secretes nacre, a compound of calcium and protein that coats the irritant and reduces the tenderness. Pearls can also come from other mollusks, such as clams, scallops, mussels, and conches. • Oyster shells can provide some healthy benefits to your garden. Because the shells are rich in calcium, adding crushed shells to the soil will help balance the soil’s pH, as well as strengthen your plants’ cell walls, making for healthier plants. • According to mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was born in the sea and drifted to shore in a giant oyster shell.
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Make This Summer the Craftiest Ever
Summertime invites all ages to experience a big dose of creativity, because you can enjoy so many artful, and sometimes messy, activities outdoors. If you have a block party coming up in your neighborhood, a family reunion or a birthday party, here are classic ideas with clever twists to engage kids’ imaginations and show off their creative side. The basics? A long portable table covered with newspaper and the supplies to draw everyone in. FACE PAINTING Set out hand mirrors for “selfie” face painting using watercolor pencils dipped in water or use this face-paint recipe. Hold a mirror in one hand while drawing with the other. Kids and adults also will have fun painting one another’s faces. Face Paint Recipe: 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon water 1/2 teaspoon cold cream Liquid food coloring in a variety of colors Small paintbrush Small recycled yogurt-style container for each color 1. Stir together cornstarch and cold cream in a container until blended. Add water and stir. Add coloring, one drop at a time, until you get desired color. 2. Paint on faces with a small paintbrush or use a cotton swab. GOOEY GOOP Kids enjoy just about anything that’s gooey, slithery and slimy. Here’s a crowd-pleasing concoction. 8-ounce bottle of white household glue, such as Elmer’s 8 ounces water Liquid poster paint (optional) Small and large mixing bowls 1 cup warm water 1 1/2 teaspoons borax powder 1. Stir together glue, 8 ounces water and a few drops of paint (optional) in large bowl. 2. In small bowl, mix warm water and borax. Slowly pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture. Swirl mixture with your hands, and in seconds goop will form into gooey glops as it oozes from your grasp. 3. Pick it up, squeeze it, and play. NOTE: If it gets on clothing, wash out quickly with soap and water. SALAD SPINNER ART 1. Remove the lid of an old salad spinner that you use for crafts and set a round paper plate in the middle. Fix it to the nodule at the center of the bottom of the spinner with a piece of clay. 2. Pick three liquid poster paints and drop puddles near the center of the plate. 3. Pop the top of the spinner back on and give the crank a whirl for 5-8 seconds. Let it wind down and remove the top. See the explosion of color spread in all directions. If you wish, add more paint and a pinch of glitter, and spin again. 4. Remove plate, let it dry, and display spin art when you get back home. *** 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