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A State of Union The United States and indeed other countries in the world are seemingly experiencing political, philosophical, and social disconnect, internally, and from one another.

With this threat of global regression into a political middle ages, it is a good time to explore the word union and it’s various united applications.

Definition of Union -An act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one: such as the formation of a single political unit from two or more separate and independent units. The growing together of severed parts.

Example: a gracious union of excellence and strength - Any of various devices for connecting parts (as of a machine) especially a coupling for pipes or pipes and fittings Antonyms: breakup, disconnection, dissolution, disunion, division, parting, partition, schism, scission, split In Computer Memory In structures, the compiler would allocate memory for each data member within the structure.

While in unions, the compiler would allocate a block of memory equal to the largest data member in the union.

This is useful in embedded systems to reduce memory consumption. Ok, this is way too deep for me, but I do hope there are some readers of Tidbits that understand it.

State of the Union Address: Feb 5th which you may or may not have listened to by the time you read this. At this writing I am curious as to whether it will be the state of the union address or more on the state of the presidency.

United States The word famously occurs in the Preamble (the introduction) to the United States Constitution: "We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union...do ordain and establish this Constitution...." As of this writing there are 50 members of this Union and it has been said that some may or may not want to continue being a part of it.

European Union The peoples of Europe, in creating an ever closer union among them, are resolved to share a peaceful future based Conscious of its spiritual and moral heritage, the Union is founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice.

As of July 2018, the EU had 28 member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom (UK).

Soviet Union WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE! THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS USSR COUNTRIES - With the creation of the USSR on 30 December 1922 to the dissolution on 26 December 1991, the Communist party ruled one sixth part of the world for sixty-nine years. Vladimir Lenin was the first ruler of USSR, succeeded by Joseph Stalin in 1924. USSR countries were recognized by the British Empire on 1st February 1924 and made its first constitution in 1924.

The formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics happened with the union of these four social republics. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) - Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) - Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR) Mikhail Gorbachev was the last ruler of these USSR countries. So one has to ask, what kind of government evolved and prevails there today?

Union Jack Nothing says Britain like the Union Flag – also known colloquially as the Union Jack.

The flag was first proclaimed by James I (aka James VI of Scotland) in 1606 when he inherited both the thrones of England and Scotland and sought to create a flag combining the two crosses of the respective nations. Ireland was later added in 1801 when it joined the United Kingdom. The flag is actually made up of the three flags of England, Scotland and Ireland which are the crosses of each country’s patron saint.

England: Cross of St George – Red Cross Scotland: Cross of St Andrew – White Saltaire - Ireland: Cross of St Patrick – Red Saltaire Wales did not make the cut on the Union Flag.

Wales is a principality and has legally always been considered a part of England, until recently, when it was given more devolved powers. If Scotland votes to leave the Union, it’s highly likely that Wales will get a place in whatever flag replaces the currrent one.

(The Welsh Flag) A dragon may be a pretty cool thing to put on a flag! What's up Jack?

United Nations If there is anything that continues to hold the promise of a peaceful and united world, it is this organization The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers and one another.

There are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

UNICEF he United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund works in 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. And we never give up. Discover UNICEF's

This Tidbits® is published by Falcon Prince Inc., a Minnesota Corporation, under licensing agreement with Tidbits® Media Inc., Montgomery, AL www.tidbitsmedia.com Tidbits® or the North Metro: Email: dean@realbits.com ● www.tidbitstwincities.com ● Phone: 763-218-0033

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Family Re-unions The “family of man,” it seems, is no longer just an Age of Aquarius-era cliché. Research, like a 2002 study published in the journal Science, has shown that humans share 99.9 percent of their DNA. And our family ties to each other are becoming increasingly transparent in the era of mail-in DNA-testing services like 23andMe that purport to provide detailed data on shared bloodlines.

There are also online genealogy databases compiling family super-trees that include millions of people from around the globe.

According to the Guinness book of records, the largest held family reunion is 4,514 and was achieved by the Porteau-Boileve family at Saint-Paul-Mont-Pénit, Vendée, France, on 12 August 2012. The family tree traced by Jean-Michel Cheneau, direct descendant of Georges Porteau and Madeleine Boileve, shows that the family was founded by this couple in the 17th century.

Mechanical Unions (Smallest) March 2018: In a laboratory near Interstate 35E and Minnesota 36, Abbott Laboratories employee Teresa Tollefson peers through a microscope, dips a Q-tip in Isopropyl alcohol and gently swabs a ring the size of a dime. First, she turns the microscope to its 7X setting.

If she sees any anomalies in the pyrolytic carbon ring, she’ll bump up to 30X “for closer inspection.

Tollefson is helping build the world’s smallest pediatric mechanical heart valve for children with heart defects. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the valve is the first deemed suitable for newborns and young infants. It is the smallest mechanical heart valve available commercially in the world. (continued on page 6)

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execution by lethal gas is carried out in Nevada. The executed man was Tong Lee, who was convicted of murdering a rival Chinese gang member. Lethal gas was seen as a more humane method of carrying out death sentences.

▲ On Feb. 6, 1820, the first organized immigration of freed slaves to Africa from the United States departs New York on a journey to Sierra Leone, in West Africa. The expedition was partially funded by the U.S. Congress, which appropriated $100,000. ▲ On Feb. 19, 1861, Jefferson Davis, a former U.S. senator from Mississippi, learns he has been selected president of the new Confederate States of America.

It was not a position Davis wanted, but he accepted it out of a sense of duty. ▲ On Feb. 8, 1924, America’s first

▲ On Feb. 13, 1861, the earliest military action to be revered with a Medal of Honor award is performed

by Col. Bernard J.D. Irwin, an Army surgeon serving in the first major U.S.Apache conflict. The Irish-born doctor volunteered to go to the rescue of 2nd ▲ On Feb. 4, 1938, Walt Disney Lt. George Bascom, who was trapped releases “Snow White and the Seven in Arizona with 60 soldiers by the Dwarfs,” the first animated feature to be Apaches. produced in English and in Technicolor.

Naysayers warned him that audiences, ▲ On Feb. 16, 1923, in Thebes, especially adults, wouldn’t sit through Egypt, English archaeologist Howard a feature-length cartoon fantasy about Carter enters the sealed burial chamber dwarfs. The film was a smash hit. of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. The room was virtually ▲ On Feb. 5, 1994, Byron de intact, with its treasures untouched after la Beckwith is convicted of the more than 3,000 years. assassination of civil-rights leader Medger Evers 31 years earlier, ending ▲ On Feb. 12, 1938, Judy Blume, the lengthiest murder case in American popular young-adult author, is born in history. Two earlier juries refused to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume’s books, convict. The third sent Beckwith to jail which realistically address such topics as bullying, divorce, friendships and for life.

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family, gained legions of young fans; however, their content frequently led them to be banned by school libraries. ▲ On Feb. 11, 1960, the Federal Communications Commission proposes a new law making it a criminal act to be involved in Payola -- corrupt practices in the radio and music industries that involved manufacturing a hit by paying for it to be played on the air. ▲ On Feb. 17, 1996, world chess champion Garry Kasparov triumphs over Deep Blue, IBM’s chess-playing computer, to win their six-game match, 4-2. However, Deep Blue would defeat Kasparov in a heavily publicized rematch the following year. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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FOOD ORIGINS (Continued) • With the first bite, he knew he was onto something. He took the idea to his bosses, but they dismissed it saying it was too much of a kid’s thing, and they were more interested in releasing their new Perfectly Peach flavor instead.

• Then fate intervened: the winter of 1982 was harsh, and the peach crop was skimpy as a result. Perfectly Peach would have to wait. Harrison reminded his bosses of his idea, and they decided to give it a 90-day trial run, releasing it in 1983. Cookies ‘n Cream was an instant smash hit and remains one of the top selling flavors in the world.

NUTELLA • In Turin, Italy, Pietro Ferrero was a local chocolate maker in the 1940s.

When World War II started, cocoa beans became expensive and hard to find.

Meanwhile, the local production of hazel nuts overflowed warehouses because they could not be shipped out as usual.

• Needing to stretch his limited supply of chocolate, Ferrero began to mix chocolate with a paste made from ground hazel nuts.

• Originally it came in the form of a loaf, designed to be sliced like cheese.

By 1949 he had revamped the recipe to make the product extra creamy, and it came in a jar instead of a loaf. In 1964 the confection was named Nutella. The company now purchases 25% of the world’s supply of hazel nuts. (cont) CHEETOS • The Flakall Company in Beloit, Wisconsin, specialized in making cornbased livestock feed in the 1930s. Their automatic corn-grinding machine broke down hard kernels and turned them

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into flakes that were easily digested by rabbits, cattle, and pigs.

• Because the machinery would heat up after several hours of use, workers would cool down the gears by pouring wet corn kernels into the hopper. These moistened kernels were extruded as long ribbons of puffy corn instead of the usual flakes.

• One day a worker took some of these puffy corn ribbons home with him. His wife fried them and sprinkled them with salt. They both agreed they were delicious. After sharing them with neighbors, someone suggested they add cheese, since Wisconsin is a top cheeseproducing state. The resulting snack was named the Korn Kurl.

• In 1942 the Flakall Company patented a newly-created machine designed to turn out cheese-flavored Korn Kurls, but World War II interfered with their plan to market the snack due to shortages. When the war ended, other companies started creating corn curls, particularly the Frito Company in Texas. They dubbed the snack Cheetos. Another company called them Cheese Doodles.

CHIMICHANGAS • Monica Flin owned the El Charro Café in Tucson, Arizona, in 1922. One especially busy day she was working in the kitchen when she accidentally knocked a burrito into the deep fryer.

She was about to shout out a swear word when she remembered there were children present, so instead she hollered out “Chimichanga!” which is the Mexican word meaning “thingamajig.”

Not wanting to waste any food, she discovered that the deep-fried burrito was very tasty, and the chimichanga was born.

CORN STARCH • Starch is a carbohydrate extracted from agricultural raw materials. For many centuries starch came primarily from

wheat and potatoes in a long, difficult, and time consuming process.

• Starch was used for making glue, for whitening and stiffening clothing, and in cosmetics. It was so difficult to manufacture that Queen Elizabeth I ordered that starch could not be used for anything other than stiffening collars and powdering wigs.

• All that changed in the 1830 when Thomas Kingsford, who was both a baker and a chemist, got a job at a starch factory in New Jersey. The factory was making starch out of wheat, and Kingsford saw that the company was barely able to make ends meet. He asked his boss if he could experiment with making starch out of corn instead, and got laughed out of the office.

• Undeterred, Kingsford started experimenting with corn anyway, on his own time at his own home. He tried one thing after another. One day he mixed corn mush with wood-ash lye. It failed, and he dumped the results into a garbage pail.

Next he tried mixing the corn mush with a solution of lime, a calcium-rich mineral that comes from heating limestone. This failed too, and he dumped the glop on top of the previous failure in the garbage pail.

• A few days later he was starting yet another experiment, but decided to empty the garbage pail first. And there at the very bottom of the pail was perfectly white pure corn starch, formed from the interaction of the lye with the lime. Corn yielded far more starch than wheat. In 1842 Kingsford started his own factory and became a rich man. By 1848 his company was turning out over a million pounds of corn starch a year, and by 1859 annual output was over 7 million pounds.

BRANDY & COGNAC • In the 1500s, Dutch merchants began

like us

to buy and trade wine grown in the Bordeaux region of France. The wine was good, but the local government charged steep tariffs for exporting the wine.

• Dutch traders then turned their attention to the town of Cognac, 60 miles north. The wine produced there was not as good as Bordeaux wine, but there were no tariffs on it at all.

• In order to maximize profits, the Dutch decided to burn off some of the extra water in the wine by distilling it. They could fit twice as much of this concentrated wine on their ships. The plan was to reconstitute it once they arrived at their destination.

• What they found, however, was that the concentrated version of the inferior wine tasted much better for having been distilled. No reconstitution was necessary. The new product was called “brandewign” meaning “burnt wine” referring to the distillation process. This was shortened to “brandy.”

• The next discovery came when they found that if you distilled the alreadydistilled brandy, the product was even better than before. They named it Cognac, after the region in France where it came from. All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac.

• All Cognac is aged at least two years, turning darker as it continues to age.

Unlike other types of spirits, however, after it’s aged about ten years or so, the quality will never improve. It must be aged in oak barrels from particular forests in France, from three types of grapes that must be harvested in October, and distilled in specifically-designed copper pots between November and March.

Cognac is usually served in bulb-shaped glasses designed to channel heat from the hands to the drink, because it’s best consumed at about 70 F (21 C).

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REMARKABLE PEOPLE

ALFRED HITCHCOCK

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This week, Tidbits delves into the life of the “Master of Suspense,” the creator of the classic film Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock.

• Born in the living quarters above his parents’ east London grocery store, Alfred Hitchcock was a solitary child, inventing games and drawing maps by himself. He later remarked that he couldn’t remember ever having a playmate. When Hitchcock was five years old, his very strict father sent him to the local police station, carrying a note that read, “This is what we do to naughty boys,” giving instructions to the police to lock Alfred in a cell for five minutes. The result was Hitchcock’s life-long fear of policemen, a phobia so extreme that Hitchcock refused to drive a car out of fear of parking tickets.

• Hitchcock suffered from a glandular disorder which resulted in childhood obesity, a condition that further increased his lack of friends.

• As a teen, Hitchcock enrolled in night classes in engineering, mechanics, and navigation, with the intent of becoming an engineer. However, his father’s death forced young Alfred into the work force as a clerk at a telegraph company. He later adjusted his studies to art history, painting, and economics.

• At age 20, he became an editor and manager of the telegraph company’s in-house publication, which published a number of short stories Hitchcock had written. He expanded his interests to photography and film production. A year later, he took a job as a title card designer at a fledgling company that would become Paramount Pictures. Five years later, he was producing silent films for the company. At age 28, he achieved critical success with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Two years later, he had 10 films under his belt.

• After 10 years of success in England, Hitchcock made the move to Hollywood, where his first film, Rebecca,” (1940) received an Oscar for Best Picture.

• Hitchcock’s real fame came in the 1950s, with the classic thrillers Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho. Psycho, his best known and most profitable film, broke box office records around the world, and received four Oscar nominations. Its shower scene is considered one of the most terrifying scenes in cinema. In Hitchcock’s words, “33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”

Hitchcock used Hershey’s syrup for blood in the black-

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• Despite Paramount’s reluctance to produce Psycho, Hitchcock was adamant about making it, and deferred his $250,000 salary, instead settling for 60% of the film’s gross. The studio believed the film would be a dud, and agreed to the percentage. Hitchcock ended up with more than $15 million in earnings from the blockbuster hit, which would be about $120 million in today’s dollars.

• Three years after Psycho, Hitchcock further terrified moviegoers with The Birds, as waves of violent birds attacked a small California community.

• The filmmaker had a trademark of making cameo appearances in his movies, seen for just a brief moment in a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” appearance in 39 of his films.

• Hitchcock made the move into television in 1955, hosting Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a series of thrillers and mysteries, until 1965. The opening credit featured a silhouette of his stout profile and a spooky spoken “Good evening.”

• Hitchcock was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in January of 1980, and passed away just four months later.

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The National Veterans Golden Age Games will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, this year from June 5-10 for veterans age 55 and older who get medical care from the VA. You’ll find competitions in air rifles, golf, nine ball, swimming, track & field and more. Registration is from Feb. 25 to March 8.

The TEE Tournament is in Iowa City, Iowa, this year from Sept. 8-13. TEE (Train, Expose, Experience) teaches adaptive golf to veterans with visual or other disabilities. Other activities include fishing, bowling and more.

Registration runs through May 1.

Grants are available to organizations to create and manage adaptive sports programs, and it can be worth the effort for an organization to get involved. Visit the site to learn specifics and requirements.

Check the list of grant recipients. Last year, grants to organizations ranged from $50,000 for blind athletes in skiing and rowing all the way to a half million dollars for the whole range of athletics, including, snowboarding, wheelchair, tennis and cycling.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games for 2019 will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. These games are the largest in the world for disabled veterans, and they will be co-hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

There are 19 games in all, ranging from soccer, swimming and table tennis to weightlifting, bowling, archery and more. Signups will run through April 15. See www. wheelchairgames.org.

But that’s just some of what’s going on this year. For more information on all veterans games, go online to www.blogs.va.gov/ nvspse.

The Summer Sports Clinic runs from Sept. 15-20 and offers activities in sailing, cycling, track and field and more for those who were recently injured. If you’re still in rehab, this clinic will give you an (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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by: Kathy Wolfe

February 6 is Canadian Maple Syrup Day, and Tidbits is dipping into the pot of information about this sticky commodity.

• That delicious syrup we pour on our pancakes and waffles is a pretty expensive item because it’s extremely labor intensive to make. A bottle of syrup has its beginnings in a sugar maple, red maple, or black maple tree, although a few other species might be used.

The trees accumulate starch in the sap in their trunks and roots before and during winter. The starch converts to sugar, which rises in late winter and early spring. A tree can produce sap for 100 years!

• The sap is tapped by drilling holes into the tree trunk. The sap is no longer collected using a spout and a bucket, but rather with suction pumps and tubes, which makes the process much more efficient. The sap, which consists of about 95% water and 5% sugar, is then processed by heating to evaporate most of the water, leaving behind a concentrated syrup. The boiling process is a delicate one, since syrup boiled too long will eventually crystallize, and if it’s not boiled long enough, it will quickly spoil.

• In days gone by, sap was moved to a “sugar shack,” a building cooled by a river, then boiled in large cauldrons, which were frequently stirred to prevent crystallization.

• Maple syrup was discovered centuries ago by Native Americans. Legend has it that a tribal chief threw a tomahawk at a maple tree, and the sap began to flow. The liquid was collected, and the chief, believing it was water, gave it to his wife to cook up some venison, resulting in a delicious, maple-flavored meat. The Natives showed the extraction process to European settlers. The first written reference to the production of maple syrup was in 1606.

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• It takes 40 years for a tree to grow enough to produce sap. A single tree yields about 40 gallons of sap a year, which may sound like a lot, but consider the fact that it takes 43 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup. That’s just one gallon of syrup per tree per year!

No wonder a 32-oz. (0.95 liter) jug of syrup retails for around $25.

• If stored properly, a sealed, unopened jug of maple syrup can keep for several years.

• So why are Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth’s, and Aunt Jemima syrups so inexpensive? Because they don’t contain actual pure maple syrup! Their primary ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, with some molasses and artificial caramel color added. Unless the label says “pure maple syrup,” that’s not what you’re getting!

• The Canadian province of Quebec produces about 70% of the world’s maple syrup, about 6.5 million gallons (5.4 million Brit. Gal) a year, with exports of about $360 million US dollars ($487 million Canadian). Another 10% comes from Ontario. There are 13 species of maple trees native to Canada, but the sugar, red, and black are the primary sources of syrup, as their sugar content is the highest.

• Vermont is America’s largest producer of syrup, about 6% of the world’s supply. A smaller amount comes from the state of Maine.

• Pure maple syrup is not only delicious, it’s good for you! Each quarter cup gives you a healthy dose of manganese, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, along with 65 different antioxidants.

UNIONS (Cont'd from Inner Front) “It’s very gratifying, knowing that it’s a baby valve, and it could ultimately save a child’s life,” said Tollefson, who has worked at the former St. Jude Medical manufacturing facility in Little Canada for 21 years.

“They are going to potentially have a full healthy life, and this device is going to give them that.”

The work is labor-intensive. Each 15-millimeter valve takes about two weeks to produce. Some of the parts must be hand-sewn into place.

Largest Where you have a large coupling or pipe union you need a large pipe. Half a century of experience in plastics processing is what it takes to manufacture the world’s largest high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pressure pipe.

In Charleston, AGRU South Carolina is pushing the boundaries in plastic pipe production. Inside this path-breaking facility, the world’s largest solid-walled HDPE pressure piping systems are manufactured ondemand. They had had to overcome major technical challenges to achieve perfect roundness, homogeneous wall thickness, and completely smooth surfaces at the largest scales. Today, The Plastics Experts have the capability to extrude HDPE solid-walled pipe strings in continuous lengths between (16 feet) and (2,000 feet), with outside diameter ranges between (24 inches) and (11ft 6 inches). These XXL pipe strings are designed to be installed near or offshore, but can also be utilized for onshore installations of process pipes or transition pipelines.

Labor Unions The labor movement in the United States grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers, fighting for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.

The origins lay in the formative years of the American nation, when a free wage-labor market emerged in the artisan trades late in the colonial period. The earliest recorded strike occurred in 1768 when New York journeymen tailors protested a wage reduction. The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers.

The early labor movement was, however, inspired by more than the immediate job interest of its craft members. It harbored a conception of the just society, deriving from the Ricardian labor theory of value and from the ideals of the American Revolution, which fostered social equality, celebrated honest labor, and relied on an independent, virtuous citizenship.

The transforming economic changes of industrial

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capitalism ran counter to labor’s vision.

The result, as early labor leaders saw it, was the raising up of “two distinct classes, the rich and the poor.” Beginning with the workingmen’s parties of the 1830s, the advocates of equal rights mounted a series of reform efforts that spanned the nineteenth century. Most notable were the National Labor Union, launched in 1866, and the Knights of Labor, which reached its zenith in the mid-1880s.

The most famous union remains the American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers.

From the early 1970s onward, new competitive forces swept through the heavily unionized industries, set off by deregulation in communications and transportation, by industrial restructuring, and by an unprecedented onslaught of foreign goods. As oligopolistic and regulated market structures broke down, nonunion competition spurted, concession bargaining became widespread, and plant closings decimated union memberships.

The once-celebrated National Labor Relations Act increasingly hamstrung the labor movement; an all-out reform campaign to get the law amended failed in 1978. And with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, there came to power an anti-union administration the likes of which had not been seen since the Harding era. Between 1975 and 1985, union membership fell by 5 million. In manufacturing, the unionized portion of the labor force dropped below 25 percent, while mining and construction, once labor’s flagship industries, were decimated. Only in the public sector did the unions hold their own. By the end of the 1980s, less than 17 percent of American workers were organized, half the proportion of the early 1950s.

Swift to change the labor movement has never been. But if the new high-tech and service sectors seemed beyond its reach in 1989, remember, so did the mass production industries in 1929. As compared to the old AFL, organized labor is today much more diverse and broadly based: 40 percent of its members are white-collar workers, 30 percent are women, and the 14.5 percent who are black signify a greater representation than in the general population and a greater rate of participation than by white workers (22.6 percent compared to 16.3 percent).

Did you know? In 2009, 12 percent of American workers belonged to unions.

-------------------------"The only way to grow the economy in a way that benefits the bottom 90 percent is to change the structure of the economy.

At the least, this requires stronger unions and a higher minimum wage" Robert Reich "I love creating partnerships; I love not having to bear the entire burden of the creative storytelling, and when I have unions like with George Lucas and Peter Jackson, it's really great; not only do I benefit, but the project is better for it " Steven Spielberg

The Anoka Lions proudly present

Their 31st Annual Country Music Show Featuring, Direct from Branson MO,

Branson on The Road Opening show by Sherwin Linton and the Cotton Kings Saturday, March 9, 2019

Anoka High School

3939 7th Ave N.

3:00 PM Matinee -- 7:00 Evening Show Reserved Seats $25.00; $20.00 Gen. Adm. Why travel 900 miles to Branson, MO to see and hear great country performances, when Branson on the Road is bringing their popular show right here to Anoka, MN ? This great musical group brings classic country music, bluegrass, rockability and hilarious comedy to their show, featuring a mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass and colorful costumes. Branson on the Road promises to keep you tapping, smiling and laughing the entire show. They deliver good, clean family fun, with quality music and fine showmanship.

Debbie Horton leads the group, and has the distinction of being the only woman to have played lead guitar for the great Johnny Cash.

Debbie Horton is also an accomplished song writer and MC for music concerts with Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams JR., the Oak Ridge Boys and many more.

Sherwin and Pam Linton. Sherwin Linton’s long history in music spans over 55 years. Sherwin has received numerous music industry awards, including CMA and Music City News nominations Country Entertainer of the Year Awards. He recorded “Cotton King” in 1966 which catapulted him to the top of Country Music charts. Sherwin opens this year’s show with a variety of popular country music, Both Sherwin Linton and Branson on The Road are coming to Minnesota to perform for us on March 9, 2019, at the Anoka High School.

You won’t want to miss this entertaining show! Get a group of your friends together and order your tickets soon.

For Tickets please mail the coupon below, or call for more information; Lions Bill or Jan Dubats (763) 757 4143

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SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles

Take 9 Years Off Your Brain Age Want to boost your mental acuity? Get moving and eat your vegetables.

Here’s yet another study that says we can increase our mental sharpness by walking or riding a stationary bike three times a week for six months and going on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This Duke University study has an interesting result, however: It concluded that we can shave nine years off our brain age.

The study looked at seniors who had mild cognitive impairment and assigned them one of four combinations of activities: the walking/bike exercise,

a DASH diet or both. A fourth choice was health education alone. The first three months were spent doing exercise under the supervision of the research facility.

Later the participants were released to exercise on their own.

Specifically, the seniors were asked to ride a stationary bike or walk for 35 minutes three times a week following a 10-minute warm up. The DASH diet, for those who were assigned, promotes healthy grains, low sodium, reduced dairy and meat -- the standard healthy diet for those with high blood pressure. (See MayoClinic.org for more information.) There was no push to intensify the rate of exercise (participants were told to aim for 70 percent maximum heart rate), but the exercise intensified over time as participants became more fit.

The results: Those with the best improvements had been assigned the walking/bike exercise as well as the DASH diet. They benefited by being more organized, achieving goals and regulating behavior. Even those who only exercised saw significant improvement. Researchers believe this was because of increased oxygen to the brain.

If you want to go on the same program, talk to your doctor and get advice, especially about the intensity rate of exercise. If you’re concerned about your balance on a stationary bike, ask about the benefits of a rowing machine instead. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Page 7

● According to tradition, a bride whose dress is made of silk will have good fortune in her marriage. A woman who wears velvet to her wedding will face poverty, and a satin wedding gown will bring bad luck. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

● The oldest government building in the country actually predates the nation: The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was built in 1610.

● The Sphinx in Egypt is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

● You might be surprised to learn that Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of “Tarzan of the Apes” and its 25 sequels, never actually visited Africa.

● In rural Wisconsin in 1921, two third-grade students in a one-room schoolhouse became sweethearts. At the end of the school year, Lorraine Beatty and Mac McKitrick lost touch with each other. This story would be unremarkable, except for what happened 87 years later.

In 2009, their brothers, who had become friends, brought the couple back together. Shortly thereafter, the couple married and moved in with each other in a retirement home.

● In the original calculations made by NASA experts, a landing on the moon was thought to have only a 5 percent chance of success.

● In the 1830s you could give someone a “blizzard.”

Back then, of course, the word wasn’t referring to a snowstorm; rather, that phrase meant to give someone a piece of one’s mind.

● A scorpion can live for an entire year without eating.

● Charlie Chan, the fictional Honolulu detective, was created in 1919 by novelist Earl Derr Biggers. The books featuring Chan became so popular that the character made the leap to radio, movies and television. Even though more than a dozen actors have portrayed the detective over the years, not one of them has been of Chinese ancestry.

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● Those who study such things say that millions of trees are planted accidentally when absent-minded squirrels forget where they buried their nuts.

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● A narwhal’s horn isn’t a horn; it’s a tooth -- the left front tooth, to be specific. As such, it’s considered to be a tusk, making by: Samantha Weaver the narwhal the world’s only animal with a tusk that’s straight rather than curved. The tusk was highly prized in the Middle Ages, fetching as much as 10 times its weight in gold for those fortunate enough to have one to sell.

● The “Harley” in “HarleyDavidson” comes from William Harley, one of the motorcycle company’s three founders. His is a common surname in England with roots in Old English, in which language it means, literally, “pile of rocks.”

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HR and up NACHOS • Ignacio Anaya was the maître d’ at a *depending on location No Experience Necessary restaurant called the Victory Club in a town Free Training - Flexible Hours called Piedras Negras, Mexico, in 1943. His nickname was Nacho, short for Ignacio.

• One day a group of ladies from the nearby www.firstgroupcareers.com U.S. military base Fort Duncan, Texas, came or Call: 763-421-2219 in wanting something to eat, but Ignacio could ** bonus is for a limited time call today for details not find the chef. So, he went to the kitchen himself and threw together what he found Enjoy Vintage Tidbits available: tortilla chips, cheese, and jalapeno Articles from the 90’s peppers. The ladies loved the treat and the dish was named after Ignacio’s nickname, Nacho.

• Ignacio became the head chef at the restaurant, and later owned his own place, serving nachos regularly. They got a boost in popularity when Frank Liberato began serving them at Arlington Stadium in Texas in 1977.

When Monday Night Football announcer Howard Cosell raved about them on the air, sales increased again.

• Ignacio Anaya tried to trademark his invention, but failed. He never made much Only O l ffor the Set money off his invention. Ignacio died in 1975 but his son carries on his legacy, acting as a (includes tax, shipping & handling) judge at the annual Nachos Competition held Order By Phone in Piedras Negras every October. (cont) 763-218-0033 COOKIES & CREAM • John Harrison was a taste tester and flavor developer for Edy’s Grand Ice Cream Company in 1982. One day he wanted to Use your snack on some vanilla ice cream during his Smart Phone break so he went to the company ice cream parlor to ask for a scoop. He noticed some to Scan Our cookies nearby and decided he would like to QR Codes eat them as well. He was in a hurry to get back and to work, so he crumbled the cookies over the B Inspired top of the ice cream to save time.

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