Snippetz Issue 928 by Funder Enlightening, Inc.

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SNIPPETZ FORBIDS YOU TO EAT THESE

BANNED FOODS by Lindsey Harrison

SNIPPETZ GALLERY 2009

ISSUE 928 • AUGUST 12, 2019

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“People know excessive consumption of anything is bad for their health. By imposing a ban on something, we are, in a way, provoking them to do it.” – Akkineni Nagarjuna, Indian actor

ll the parents reading this will totally understand the statement above . . . that if you tell someone not to do something, it’s almost like you’re telling them that’s exactly what you want them to do. The temptation can be unbearable. At least, to the person who’s not supposed to do that thing. So, does that same sentiment extend to adults? Well, yes. Obviously. But more speciﬁcally, it extends to just about every aspect of our lives and it ﬁts so perfectly that we would hazard a guess that it the above statement is somewhat of a universal truth. Tell someone not to

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Banned Foods... Continued on Page 2

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SNIPPETZ™ WEEKLY MAGAZINE

THIS WEEK IN SNIPPETZ COVER STORY

Snippetz Forbids You To Eat These BANNED FOODS Sudoku... 2 Strange But True... 3 King Crossword... 3 THE DINING GUIDE... 4 “Jambalaya Sausage Kebabs” Good Housekeeping One THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY... 5 THE CLASSIFIEDS... 5 “Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation” Michael Sherman (4kidzsports) ... 5 A Lexicon of Loveliness Lexicon of Life-Lifting Words: “Freedom” Dr. Ron Ross... 6 PUZZLES, TRIVIA... 6 “Social Isolation Linked to Bone Loss in Women” Senior News Line... 7 “Four Tricks to Prevent Computer Eye Strain” Web Chat by Robyn... 7

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Banned Foods... Continued from Page 1

do something, forbid them if you like, and somehow that thing becomes the most attractive and enticing idea on the planet. Since we at Snippetz have gone out on a limb to describe it as a universal truth, we’re going to say with a fair amount of conﬁdence that food is no diﬀerent. We’ve uncovered some foods from around the world that have been banned for one reason or another, and interestingly enough, you could probably get your hands on many (if not all) of them if you were really determined. Wanna know what they are? Keep calm and read on!

FUGU

If you knew that you had a roughly 60 percent chance of dying from eatGeorge Wilkins - Publisher/CEO ing a certain type of food, would you Office: 719-487-0484 still eat it? Apparently, there are plenEmail: george@fepublications.com ty of people who like those odds and www.SnippetzMagazine.com continue to seek out traditional fugu, or pufferfish. The intesSUDOKU & CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 7 tines, ovaries and liver of the pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, which is about 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide and only a few milligrams are needed to kill a human. The fatal instances typically result from consumption of other foods that have been tainted with the pufferfish toxin, which means even if you aren’t “living on the edge” and trying your luck at eating pufferfish, simply eating someplace where fugu is prepared could be deadly. The U.S. doesn’t technically ban fugu but considering most chefs who are trained in fugu preparation spend two to three years learning the proper technique, it tends to be out of the average person’s price range when placed on a menu.

CASU MARZU Listen, we get it. Foods from other countries can sound a bit strange to us Americans. They’re not all bad, though. That being said, there’s one dish we are super happy has been banned and aren’t likely to go out trying to ﬁnd anytime in the near (or distant) future. That dish is casu marzu and in Sardinian, it means “rotting cheese.” The cheese, Pecorino Sardo, is left to rot and when it does, it is injected with ﬂy larvae and it’s only then that the cheese is eaten, larvae and all. We have one question: who was the weirdo who thought, “I bet this rotten piece of cheese would taste better if I it ate when it’s got maggots in it?” Allegedly, the maggots promote fermentation and make the cheese softer, but there’s GOT to be a better way. Yuck. Thankfully, that dish is banned in the United States.

ACKEE Now, this food has actually been banned in our country and for good reason. Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, can be a special treat when cooked properly. However, when eaten before it has completely ripened, ackee contains high levels of hypoglycin A and B, which results in Jamaican vomiting sickness. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d just

Expires: 8/31/2019

love to have? Sadly, Jamaican vomiting sickness can be so severe that it leads to coma or death. Clearly, the U.S. had the right idea in making the import of fresh ackee forbidden, although it may still be possible to ﬁnd some frozen or canned versions if you were so inclined. Although, why you’d want to risk it is beyond our comprehension.

PIG’S BLOOD CAKE OK, first off, the name doesn’t even sound good so it seems unlikely that the food itself will taste any better. Anyway, pig’s blood cake is a traditional Taiwanese dish made of pork blood and sticky rice. Yummm, right? The rice is doused in pig’s blood, then a quick dip into some pork soy broth, rolled in peanut flour and then topped with cilantro. Again, there’s no clear indication why someone would say, “I think today’s the day we eat pig blood with cilantro,” but hey, who are we to judge? Our food sanitation guidelines in the U.S. have decided they are the ones to judge and have banned the food for obvious reasons.

BIRD’S NEST SOUP You may think the name of this soup Banned Foods... Continued on Page 3

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is just a cute way of describing the bundle of noodles used in it and if you do, you’re wrong. This soup, a traditional Chinese dish, is literally made from a bird’s nest. But no, it’s not a pile of sticks you’d be eating should you ever try this dish; the nests are actually made from bird saliva. Maybe they call it bird’s nest soup because that sounds marginally more appetizing than bird spit soup. Anyway, the food has obviously been banned in the U.S. due to the harmful bacteria contained therein, but other places still manage to serve it up and it can be pricy. One pound of bird nests costs more than $4,500. And let’s not forget that the soup requires you to literally steal a bird’s home, so there’s that.

SASSAFRAS Many people know this word as how you describe a particularly ﬁery young child, but in truth, sassafras is the dried root of the sassafras tree and has been used in various ways over the years to make a variety of dishes. However, it was discovered that the root contains safrole, which was proven to cause liver cancer in rats, so the Food and Drug Administration banned it in 1960. Sassafras was com-

monly used in root beer but has since been replaced with chemicals and artiﬁcial ﬂavors. Doesn’t that sound so much better? Mmmmm, chemicals.

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ORTOLAN People ruin everything, can we just agree on that? And one thing we have certainly managed to ruin is how we treat the animals we plan to eat. Sure, they’re going to die anyway but do they really need to be tortured ﬁrst? Does it make their meat tastier somehow? Ortolan, a dish favored by the French aristocracy, is one such dish and we are just appalled to hear how it’s made. First oﬀ, the ortolan dish is made from tiny Ortolan birds, which are put into small cages and force-fed until they grow to up to four times their normal size. But wait, there’s more! These poor little creatures have their eyes poked out for some ungodly reason. Then they are quite literally drowned in brandy before being roasted and eaten whole . . . without the eyeballs, of course. The real question here is why? Why poke out the eyes? Why drown the bird in brandy? Can’t you just kill is humanely and marinate it like a less barbaric human would do? Obviously, this dish is banned in the U.S. but it’s a clear indication of how senseless our appetites for an exotic meal can be.

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• It was French playwright and actor Louis Verneuil who made the following sage observation: “The prime purpose of eloquence is to keep other people from talking.” • With only two known to exist, the rarest U.S. postage stamp is an 1868 1-cent Benjamin Franklin Z-Grill, so called because of the shape that was impressed into the stamp. One of the Z-Grills is in the collection of the New York Public Library, and the other was sold in 1998 for $935,000. That’s not the end of the story, though; in 2005, the same stamp was traded for a block of stamps valued at $3 million. • The year 1828 was a sad one for winemakers. For unknown reasons, 80 percent of the bottles of Champagne bottled that year exploded.Ê • There is a law on the books in Maine that prohibits having your shoes untied in public. I assume that one is not much

• In 2002, in an eﬀort to be more environmentally friendly, Ireland decided to try to reduce the use of plastic grocery bags by levying a 15-cent tax on each one. It worked, too -- use of the bags dropped by 95 percent. • Sir Christopher Wren, who designed the famous London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral, was an astronomer, not an architect. His other achievements included developing a method for calculating eclipses and devising a way to measure the rings of Saturn. • Back in 1935, the owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team predicted that night games were “just a fad.” He wasn’t much of a prognosticator, it seems. *** Thought for the Day: “It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.” -- Andre Gide © 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

By Michael Sherman (4kidzsports)

couple of months back one of the golfers in the “Chip in for Kidz” golf tournament – a former Bronco football player and Marine, asked me to join the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation for their upcoming events. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, but knowing this group did great work funding scholarships for children of Marines to attend college all across the country, I said “yes”. Founded in 1962, The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children. For more than 55 years, they’ve been providing access to affordable education for the children of Marine and Navy Corpsman attending post-high school, under-graduate and career technical education programs. “Today’s generation of Marines have made unprecedented sacrifices. And while there are many ways to honor our Nation’s heroes, there is no organization closer to the intersection of real need and lasting impact than the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.Marines make legendary sacrifices. Sending their children to school shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why at the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, we’ve been Honoring Marines by Educating their Children.” I didn’t know this program existed; however, from the start I knew this was a great group of guys, committed to an awesome purpose, with incredible results. They were organized, focused, and experienced. Plus, with the “retired brass” they had on staff, there was no room for failure. From getting sponsors, donors, players, silent auction partners, and more, they were on point. Naturally, I jumped right in. These guys were all old-timers (like me), but full of energy. They didn’t quit until the mission was accomplished. The results were incredible. Want to see what Honor, Courage, and Commitment look like? 38 Colorado students were funded this year through this years golf tournament, 2360 nation wide (all 50 states and o’seas) $8.2 million awarded (~$3,475 average) over 40,000 for $135 million, inception to date. One of the student recipients gave a great speech at the awards dinner on Monday evening, prior to the golf tournament on Tuesday. In her words, “This scholarship will go a long way in helping me finance my education, and I will be forever grateful to you for your generosity.” She is the daughter of Master Sergeant Derric Threatt USMC After the tournament we received the results: “Congratulations to all of you for produc-

ing two best-in-class events this week! The Scholarship Award Ceremony on Monday evening demonstrated the quality of our students, the pride shown by their families, and the dividend expected by our sponsors. Note that 80% (!!) of expected invitees attended the Ceremony! Of course, the generous commitment of $100,000.00 by Colleen and Rob Joyce is the most signiﬁcant and impactful single donation MCSF has ever received out of Colorado. Thank you!” There were more Broncos at this tournament than I have seen in years – they were “awesome”. Just having these guys on board added character and excitement to the event, it showed where their heart is and how much eﬀort they put forth in giving back to the community. What a great bunch of guys. The golf pro at Inverness stated, “Everyone was smiling as the carts left the apron… this is unique to our tournaments.” During Dinner the Sponsors offered praise and satisfaction, along with renewed commitment to support the Foundation. The Bronco Alumni I spoke with said “the guys loved it, awesome cause, great course, great day, thanks.” Events like this make me “proud to be a Marine.” Please follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook. com/4kidzsports or on the web: www.4kidzsports.org. Do you have a story to tell? Please contact us: 720.436.4026 or email: sherm@4kidzsports.org

A CHILDREN’S STORY OF

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Lexicon of Dr. Ron Ross’s

Life-Giving Words

“FREEDOM”

by Ron Ross

ou are familiar with the ten freedoms guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to bear arms, etc. These rights have been the hallmark of American culture since before they were enshrined in the Constitution. Our Bill of Rights came from statesmen who were concerned the newly organized federal government could abuse its powers and therefore, needed some restraint. They were right. Often those in power crave more power, shun any criticism, and oppose those who question their actions. The Bill of Rights has done a pretty good job of protecting individual and states’ rights since it was added to our Constitution in 1791; however, new threats to our freedom – unforeseen 230-years ago – have since surfaced. New brands of authoritarianism that threaten our freedom are emerging, which beg the question: Are new Constitutional Amendments worthy of consideration? How about Freedom from Intimidation? The ability to intimidate using bullish speech and threatening actions appears to be protected by the Constitution. How can you have freedom of speech if some black-masked thug, carrying an oak billy club, tells you to shut up? Your rights may also be infringed if the government audits your taxes, or if your company ﬁres you because you disagree with its politics, or if a professor fails you for disagreeing with his point of view. How about Freedom of Information? Secrecy in government is an attempt to hide what those in power do. The Freedom of

Information Act, passed in 1967, requires full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the US Government upon request. Yet, request upon request is met with delays, denials, and dislike by those in power.

TRIVIA TEST

SPORTS QUIZ

1. ANATOMY: Which vitamin is necessary for

1. In 2019, Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell became the third player in National League history to have at least 12 doubles and 12 home runs in the same month. Name either of the other two to do it. 2. When was the last time before 2018 (Cincinnati’s Bryan Price) that a major-league manager was ﬁred in the month of April? 3. How many years went by before the Buffalo Bills returned to the NFL playoffs in the 2017 season? 4. When was the last time before the 2018-19 season that the Tennessee men’s basketball team won at least 15 games in a row? 5. How many times have the Florida Panthers made the NHL playoffs during their ﬁrst 25 seasons (through 2018-19)? 6. Who was the only sprinter to set a world record in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 400meter? 7. Name the last male golfer to win the same major three years in a row.

normal blood clotting? 2. GEOGRAPHY: Which state lies directly south

How about Freedom to Succeed or Fail? It is not the purpose of the government to assure every person a minimal level of success, a concept that creates dependency and stiﬂes human achievement. We must be left to fail or succeed on our own. The government should open the doors of opportunity, not erect walls of protection.

of Missouri?

How about Freedom of Life? I know the Declaration of Independence seems to guarantee certain “unalienable Rights” given to all by their Creator, which the government is charged to protect. But is the government really “protecting” life? Abortion is now considered a human right up to and even after birth. Then there is the expansion of the “right to die” (read: “right to kill”) in many states where euthanasia is permitted. Perhaps, the right to Freedom of Life should be Freedom Number One. After all, if one person or a group of bureaucrats dictates who can be born and who should die, the rest of our freedoms are irrelevant.

tures a leprechaun in advertisements?

So, what do you think: Are any or all of my proposed new Constitutional Amendments worthy of consideration? Email me your thoughts: RonRoss@RonRossToday.com

Endnote: We should never take our freedoms for granted. But, rather, we should mind the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Freedom has its life in the hearts, the action, the spirit of men and so must be daily earned and refreshed – like a ﬂower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.”

By Chris Richcreek

By Fiﬁ Rodriguez

3. PSYCHOLOGY: What fear is represented by the condition called pogonophobia? 4. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the basic currency of the nation of Georgia? 5. FOOD & DRINK: What is a latke? 6. ADVERTISING: Which breakfast cereal fea7. LITERATURE: Who wrote the Greek play “The Trojan Women”? 8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was Abraham Lincoln’s ﬁrst vice president? 9. MOVIES: Which early 20th-century ﬁlm actress was dubbed “America’s Sweetheart”? 10. GAMES: How many balls are used in pocket billiards? (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

FLASHBACK

BIBLE TRIVIA By Wilson Casey

By Mick Harper

1. Who is the oldest member of the Rolling Stones? 2. Name the ﬁrst artist to release “Hound Dog.” 3. In which song does Elton John sing about his old, gold Chevy and a place of his own? 4. Which music instrument did Satchmo play? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “I don’t have to beg you to hold me, Cause somebody else will.”

1. Is the book of Ephesians in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. What tree did Jesus tell a parable about? Apple, Fig, Olive, Sycamore 3. Who was John the Baptist’s father? Zechariah, Zacharias, Zephaniah, Zaccheus 4. What did the oak tree symbolize in the Bible? Growth, Strength, Weakness, Fruitfulness 5. Which of these is not a book of the New Testament? Revelation, Judges, Colossians, Jude 6. From the Bible, who was Isaiah’s father? Amos, Amoz, Laban, Heron

SUDOKU

TRIVIA TEST

BIBLE TRIVIA 1) New

1. Vitamin K

2) Fig

2. Arkansas

3) Zacharias

3. Fear of beards

4) Strength

4. The lari

5) Judges

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6) Amoz

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FLASH BACK

6. Lucky Charms 7. Euripides 8. Hannibal Hamlin 9. Mary Pickford 10. 16 balls (15 numbered balls and the cue ball)

CROSSWORD

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson. 2. It was 2002, when four managers (Colorado’s Buddy Bell, Milwaukee’s Davey Lopes, Detroit’s Phil Garner and Kansas City’s Tony Muser) were ﬁred in April 3. Eighteen years (last in playoffs in 1999). 4. It was 1915-17. 5. Five times. 6. Irena Szewinska of Poland. 7. Peter Thomson won the British Open in 1954-56.

1. Drummer Charlie Watts, at age 78. Next are Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who turn 76 this year. Ronnie Wood is the youngest at 72. 2. No, it wasn’t Elvis Presley, although he’s the artist most associated with the song. Ellie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton first released “Hound Dog” in 1953, three years before Elvis. 3. “Crocodile Rock,” in 1973. The song was used in the soundtrack of the 1994 film “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” 4. Louis Armstrong, aka Satchmo, played trumpet. 5. “Your Good Thing Is About to End,” by Lou Rawls in 1969. His is the most recognizable version, although the song was first released on Stax in 1966 by Mable John. The song was most recently released by bluesman Robert Cray.

NOTE

Sudoku and King Crossword puzzles can be found on pages 2 & 3.

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SOCIAL ISOLATION LINKED TO BONE LOSS IN WOMEN

f you ever wanted a compelling reason to join a group or get out more, here it is: A new study shows that poor social relationships contribute to bone loss in senior women. This wasn’t a small, brief study. In this Women’s Health Initiative, researchers studied the bone health of 11,000 women over six years and included information about social support and social functioning. The bottom line: Over those six years, high social stress equated to lowered bone mineral density in the femoral neck (where most hip fractures occur), the lumbar spine and the whole hip. They assigned a rating to levels of “social strain,” and found that each additional point added to the lowered bone density.

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for the Discriminating “Mini-Home Owner”

adding thoughts to others’ comments, has the potential to evolve further into coﬀee afterward, phone numbers swapped and invitations to other activities.

The same goes for dog walking at the animal That’s scary, and for those of us who don’t have shelter, bus trips with the senior center, walking much time for socializing, it serves as a wakeup clubs around town, board-games night at the licall. What are we going to do about it? brary and neighborhood yard sales. As a place to look for local activities, search onThe ﬁrst thing that comes to mind is any activ- line for the Red Hat Society (www.redhatsociity that encourages interaction with others. Even ety.com). a weekly reading group at the library, with par(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc. There’s more to this than how many groups we ticipants commenting on the book they read and

4 Tricks to Prevent Computer Eye Strain Series 19 Article 2

Eye strain might not sound like a big deal, but anyone who deals with it can tell you just how intrusive it can be. Be proactive and use these tricks to make a big difference in your overall wellbeing. 1. Change Your Font Color, Size, and Family What font you choose makes a drastic impact on how much eye strain you endure. Many font families are not ideal for constant and repeated use. The kerning, spacing, and even shape of various fonts can increase readability and make it so that you don’t have to work as hard to decipher the characters. Fonts such as Fira Code, Consolas, and Monoid are designed specifically for long-term usage, legibility, and prevention of eye strain. Color and size can be one of the largest factors of preventing eye strain. A lot of what you’re reading online may be low-contrast (light text on a light background). When this is the case, our eyes

have to work overtime. So to fix that, you don’t have to lower the resolution of your screen. Instead, increase the default font sizes in your OS, your code editor, and adjust different web pages in your browser to accommodate larger text. 2. Brightness / Dark Mode / Anti-Blue Bright screens make colors pop which is aesthetically pleasing, but it also strains your eyes at an accelerated rate. Change the balance of brightness that works for you. Also, if your office has fluorescent lighting that reflects off of your monitor, you can get screens and filters that you can affix to it so that you can eliminate external brightness and glare. You also have access to Dark Mode in a lot of apps to make reading easier. This gives you a darker, less-bright screen with a decent contrast ratio of lighter text on darker backgrounds.

Research has shown that blue light has a negative impact on your health, eyes, and sleep. Most devices have a “night mode” which effectively adjusts the color temperature of the screen after certain hours. There are also blue-light filters for your screen, and blue-light filter glasses you can wear. This makes long hours of looking at the screen easier and less taxing. 3. Consider Your Posture Where you are in relation to your screen plays a pretty big role in eye strain, too. Not to mention muscle strain and shoulder/neck aches. You want to be looking at your

monitor front-on at eye level whether on desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. You ideally want to be between 20 and 27 inches away from your screen. 4. Blink More This may sound overly simplified, but it can really help prevent eye strain by keeping your eyes well lubricated. Even those minute flashes where your eyes are covered give your brain a chance to rest. And that time adds up over the day. When you’re strained and stressed that you can simply close your eyes for 30 seconds and feel an almost immediate sense of relief.

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