3rd Quarter 2012Week 39

Sept 23 - 29Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTSISSUE 2012.39

OLD-TIME CANDYpages 1-4

FAMOUS LANDMARKSCHRISTO REDENTOR

pages 5-6

TOOTHY TRIVIApages 7-8

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TIDBITS® Remembers

OLD-TIME CANDYby Kathy Wolfe

What was your favorite candy when you were growing up? Take a nostalgic look back at the history behind some of the early varieties you may have enjoyed, many of them long gone but not forgotten.• The first candy to combine milk chocolate,

marshmallow, peanuts and caramel was the Goo Goo Cluster, introduced in 1913 and sold unwrapped from large glass candy jars in the drug store. When a regular customer mentioned that the candy was “So good, people will ask for it from birth,” the creator named his confection after thefirst soundsmadebyhisnewborn son, “Goo Goo!”

• The invention of America’s first candymachine, a lozenge cutter in 1847, got the NECCO wafers their start. The familiar pastel candies were sold for over 50 years before they were given their name, an acronym for the New England Confectionery Company that produced them. The same company introduced conversation hearts in 1866, dubbing them “motto hearts” and printing such messages as “Be Good,” “Be True” and “Kiss Me.” The phrases have been updated in recent years, adding “Call Me,” “Fax Me” and “Email Me.” In 2011, NECCO added “Tweet Me” to the list of mottos.

turn the page for more!

Q: What do you call candy that was stolen?

A; Hot Chocolate!

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Money is tight everywhere, but there is one group that truly deserves any holiday donations you’ll make this year. I want to get first dibs on at least 15 of the dollars you have earmarked for charity.Operation Gratitude (www.operationgratitude.com) recently reached a milestone of 800,000 packages sent to service members stationed far away. Started by Carolyn Blashek at her dining-room table in 2003, OpGrat’s efforts have been constant, ever expanding and heartfelt. Here are the stats since 2003:--6.4 million pounds of donated product--$8 million in shipping expenses--40 million items--$80 million worth of product shippedThe number and type of corporate donations are

Restless Legs Ruin Sleep

proof positive that OpGrat is an organization worth getting behind. That 800,000th package was a special one that contained a week’s vacation, a web cam, a DVD player, a digital camera -- and the keys to a custom-built American Chopper motorcycle.Of course not all of the 100,000 packages sent every year contain the keys to a vehicle, but each one, ad-dressed individually to a service member by name, is packed with at least $125 worth of excellent products, as well as individually written letters and cards.That $15 I mentioned? It’s for postage. In spite of all the donations from corporations, OpGrat can’t get any kind of deal on mailing the packages. It costs $15 to send each box.If you want to donate, the address is:Operation Gratitude16444 Refugio RoadEncino, CA 91436A bonus, too: Those who donate at least $15 before Oct. 31 will receive a special limited edition “March to a Million” dog tag that reads “I am a part of Operation Gratitude History.” If the $15 is out of the question, check the website. There are other ways you can help.

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OLD-TIME CANDY (continued):• It’slikelythatnearlyeverychildinAmerica has at some time received a ball-shaped lollipop from the bank teller. These little pops, known as Dum Dums, have been around since 1924 when they were intro-duced by the Akron Candy Company. Sales manager I.C. Bahr named the pop, figuring Dum Dum was a word any child could say. Seven original flavors were introduced, with many added and deleted over the years, including the famous Mystery Flavor. The Mystery Flavor changes regularly since it is a blend of the tail end of one batch and the beginning of the next, whatever they may be.• RememberChuckles?Thesesugar-coated jelly candies have been around since 1921, when a Chicago marshmallow manu-facturer introduced them. The five-flavored strip of candies was widely advertised with the slogan “5 flavors – 5 cents.”• Chick-O-SticksandChickenBoneswere pretty much the same thing. Introduced in 1938 as Chicken Bones, this was a hon-eycombed candy filled with peanut butter and rolled in toasted coconut. In 1955, it was discovered that another company already owned the name, and the change was made to Chick-O-Sticks.• There’snothinglikepouringstraightsugar down your throat, which is what we did with Pixy Stix, a powdered sugar packaged in a drinking straw. It started out as a drink mix in the late 1940s called Frutol, but since kids seemed to prefer the straight powder, Pixy Stix made their debut in 1952. • Thechocolate-covered,crunchypeanut butter bar 5th Avenue was the 1938 brainstorm of William Luden, who is more famous as the creator of Luden’s cough drops.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have suffered with restless leg syndrome for 25 years. What causes it? Is there a cure? I do take Requip. Some say that having the veins in your legs stripped helps. Does it? -- C.K.

ANSWER: Stabbing pain, a burning feeling and a creepy-crawly sensation in the legs are some of the ways people describe restless leg syndrome. The sen-sation mostly comes on in the evening when sitting in a chair or, more often upon going to bed. The night is punctuated with interruptions of sleep, as the sensa-tions wake a person. They drive the person to get up and walk about until these annoying feelings go way. Walking does get rid of them, but the respite is only temporary. The attacks reach peaks at midnight and again around 4 a.m.For most, a cause cannot be found. Sometimes it’s a family affair, passed by the parent to the children. In a few instances, iron deficiency anemia, renal failure and Parkinson’s disease are associated with it. The anemia connection is worth checking out, since it has a definite cure -- iron tablets. The medicine you mention, Requip (ropinirole) is one often prescribed for this problem. If you’ve been taking it for some time without relief, you ought to try some of the other medicines used for it. Mirapex (pramipexole) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are two others. A new variety of gabapentin called Horizant

comes as an extended-release tablet, so medication is delivered to the body throughout the night. A warm bath before going to bed, coupled with a leg massage afterward, often can cut down on the number of attacks and their intensity. Restricting alcohol and caffeine works for some people. Removing leg veins will not help.The booklet on restless leg syndrome and nighttime leg cramps goes into greater detail on both these subjects. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 306W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. ***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My mother has lived in an assisted-living facility for two years. She’s mentally clear, but physically unable to take care of herself. The last time I visited her, a nurse was taking her blood pressure. She told me that my mother’s pres-sure in her right arm was normal, but the pressure in her left arm was 165 over 95. Which is her true blood pressure? -- E.L.ANSWER: A 10-point discrepancy in blood pressure between the two arms is considered acceptable. With a larger difference, the actual blood pressure is the higher one.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: How does pancreatitis relate to cancer of the pancreas? Is it an early stage of that cancer? -- D.B.

ANSWER: Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas brought on by many different conditions, including viral infections. Pancreatitis is not an early stage of cancer.Chronic pancreatitis, a long duration of pancreas in-flammation, is a slight risk for eventual development of pancreatic cancer, but even it is not a common pre-lude to cancer.

To Your Good Health By Paul G Donohue M.D.

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If you’ve ever had a dispute with one of the big three credit-reporting agencies, you know how frustrating it can be to get the simplest correction made, especially if an error is holding up a loan or forcing you into a higher rate of interest on a mortgage. You’ll appreciate a new federal government agency now in place: the Consumer Finan-cial Protection Bureau.The CFPB is now gearing up to oversee those credit-reporting agencies, and not just the big three. They’ll be supervising 30 companies of the 400 reporting agencies that are in business. Those agencies issue

3 billion credit reports per year and make 36 billion updates to files. Counted among the 400 agencies are the resellers of infor-mation. The CFPB will supervise those that gather information on consumers of resi-dential mortgages, payday loans, private college loans and more. It will make on-site examinations, review compliance systems and issue reports. Where necessary, it will write additional laws.The CFPB does more than oversee the ac-tions of the credit bureaus. Later this year, it will issue a report on its findings about debt collection and will no doubt issue new rules and regulations. The bureau recently proposed new rules about mortgage ser-vicing that will include billing statements that are easy to read and understand, more notice before interest rates rise on adjust-able mortgages, faster error resolution and more. The CFPB also examined mortgage origina-tion procedures to ensure they complied

with laws. Those who originate mortgages -- lenders, brokers, servicers and others -- will now be under federal supervision. Among a lengthy list of findings, a propos-al has been made to clarify loan points and fees to make it easier to compare loans be-tween lenders.If you need to dispute an error on your credit report, understand foreclosure, make a complaint about a debt collector’s tactics, or any number of other financial concerns, the bureau’s website is likely to have the answer. To explore everything it offers, go online to www.consumerfi-nance.gov. Click on Get Assistance and scroll to Ask CFPB to get answers to finan-cial questions.Remember that you’re allowed to get one free credit report per year to check for er-rors. Call 1-877-322-8228 or go online to www.annualcreditreport.com to get your free report every year.

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1. Is the book of Goliath in the Old or New Testament or neither?2. From Exodus 10, who made a false confession to Aaron and Moses? Herod, Malachi, Satan, Pharaoh3. Who was bespoken by an angel to save Israel from the Midianites? Ishmael, Job, Gideon, Philip4. From 1 Samuel 9 and 10, who was the first king of Israel? David, Saul, Solomon, Jehu5. Who laughed on hearing she would have a child in her old age? Sarah, Ruth, Lydia, Esther6. From John 8:44, what is Satan the father of? Sin, Lust, Scepters, Lies?

Velvety Chicken And Rice Soup

I’ve always been partial to a hearty bowl of soup. Maybe it’s because of my Eastern European heri-tage. Maybe it’s because Mom stirred up some of the best pots of soup ever, even when she didn’t have an abundance of ingredients to choose from. Maybe it’s because it’s just comforting and cozy. Whatever the reason, I hope you enjoy!

1/2 cup chopped onion1 (16-ounce) can fat-free chicken soup3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cup hot cooked rice1 (2.5-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1. In a large saucepan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, saute onion for 5 minutes or until tender. In a covered jar, combine chicken broth and flour. Shake well to blend. Add broth mixture to onion. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken, stirring often.2. Stir in rice, mushrooms, chicken and parsley flakes. Add sour cream. Mix well to combine. Low-er heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture is heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 (1 cup) servings.

¥ Each serving equals: 194 calories, 2g fat, 22g pro-tein, 22g carb., 407mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Meat, 1 1/2 Starch, 1/2 vegetable.

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complete disregard for the welfare of animals. (When I was there,) we never did anything that condoned animal cruelty. Apparently, things have changed.”***Q: What does Patrick Wilson have planned since CBS’s “A Gifted Man” was canceled? -- Nicki C., via e-mailA: Patrick’s next role is opposite Alec Baldwin in the big-screen thriller “Caught Stealing.” Alec plays a sadistic cop to Patrick’s down-on-his-luck former hot shot who gets caught up in a web of very bad things. The movie is based on a book of the same name by Charlie Huston, which is the first installment of the “Hank Thompson Trilogy.”

1. LITERATURE: Who was England’s first, un-official poet laureate?2. MUSIC: Which musical group had a hit with “Penny Lane”?3. MEASUREMENTS: How many meters are in an “are,” a unit of land measurement?4. INVENTIONS: Who invented frozen food in 1923?5. GEOGRAPHY: Which countries share the region of Patagonia?6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the tradi-tional birthstone associated with July?7. ASTRONOMY: The moon called Titan or-bits which planet in our solar system?8. HISTORY: In what year did Ohio’s National Guard kill four war protesters at Kent State University?9. MOVIES: Which Disney movie featured a character named Dory?10. RELIGION: Who is the patron saint of car-penters?

dad was like that too. That’s the way they were together too.” If you want to read more about Shooter, Waylon and Cash, as well as how Shooter has carved his own niche in the country-music world, check out our interview at celebrityextraonline.com.***Q: What can I see Jennifer Garner in next? -- Vivianne A., via e-mailA: Jennifer stars in a new movie called “Butter,” which hits theaters Oct. 7. I’m not only eager to see Jen, but check out this cast: Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Ty Burrell and Hugh Jackman. I can’t begin to explain the movie (which is about a butter-sculpting competition) -- you’ll just have to see it for yourself.***Q: I watched the “Price Is Right” 40th birthday show, and was dismayed to see that Bob Barker wasn’t there to cel-ebrate. Was he not invited, or was he unable to attend? I can tell you his presence was definitely missed! -- Ada E. in ArkansasA: Bob Barker, the original emcee for the long-running game show, was not invited to the birthday bash, which came as a shock to many longtime viewers, and to the man himself. Bob told “TV Guide Magazine”: “I don’t know why I wasn’t asked to take part in some way. But I do know I am ashamed of the show and surprised at their

Q: I saw a video on CMT by Shooter Jennings, and he sounds and looks so familiar. Is he related to the late Waylon Jennings? -- Travis R., via e-mailA: Shooter is the country-music star’s son with wife (and fellow country singer) Jessi Colter. Shooter grew up surrounded by legends: Waylon, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. You can catch Shooter beginning Sunday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. EDT on Ovation, where he participates in the six-part documentary series, “Johnny Cash: Song by Song,” sharing his recollections of the Man in Black. Shooter shared some memories of Cash with me when we spoke recently: “One of the first things I think that has not been documented very well about Johnny Cash is how funny and goofy and charming he was. He wasn’t a brooding, dark, stoic character. He’d play jokes on people and do things to make little kids laugh. He was like a big kid. My

¥ On Oct. 6, 1847, “Jane Eyre,” a book about the strug-gles of an orphan girl who grows up to become a governess, is published. Charlotte Bronte, the book’s author, wrote of her experiences at being sent to a boarding school at the age of 5.

¥ On Oct. 1, 1920, Scientific American magazine re-ports that the rapidly developing medium of radio soon would be used to broadcast music: “Experi-mental concerts are at present being conducted ev-ery Friday evening from 8:30 to 11:00 by the Radio Laboratory of the Bureau of Standards.”

¥ On Oct. 5, 1930, a British dirigible crashes in Beau-vais, France, killing all 56 people aboard. The R-101, Great Britain’s biggest blimp, was flying only 250 feet above the ground, unbeknownst to the pilots be-cause of the dark night. The blimp skimmed treetops before hitting a ridge, igniting the hydrogen supply.

¥ On Oct. 4, 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower distrib-utes to his combat units a report by the U.S. Surgeon General that reveals the hazards of prolonged expo-sure to combat. Based on this evaluation, American commanders judged that the average soldier could last about 200 days in combat before suffering seri-ous psychiatric damage.

¥ On Oct. 2, 1968, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gib-son strikes out 17 Detroit Tigers in the first game of the World Series, breaking Sandy Koufax’s record for the most strikeouts in a Series game.

¥ On Oct. 7, 1975, a New York State Supreme Court judge reverses a deportation order for John Lennon, allowing him to remain legally in the U.S. The judge wrote that “The courts will not condone selective deportation based upon secret political grounds.” An FBI investigation of Lennon had turned up no evidence of involvement in illegal activities.

¥ On Oct. 3, 1995, Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simp-son is acquitted of the double murder of his es-tranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, despite a DNA match, a wound on Simpson’s hand, the recent purchase of a “Stiletto” knife and matching shoeprints at the scene.

OLD-TIME CANDY (continued):

• Backinthe1950swhenJamesDeanandMarlon Brando looked cool with their cigarettes rolled up in their T-shirt sleeves, candy cigarettes were all the rage with kids. It seems that candy makers actually worked with the tobacco companies to help attract young smokers! Although the original candy cigs with their “lit” red tip are long gone, they are now reproduced but, we hope, with a different goal. Some folks who have quit smoking pass out packs to friends on the anniversary of their last cigarette. • Thoselittlehollowtubesofblacklicoricecoated with pastel-colored candy were known as Snaps. They appeared at candy counters for the first time around 1930 and can still be found at specialty candy shops. You’ll have a little more trouble finding wax lips, introduced in the early 1900s, which could be chewed into a waxy, cherry-flavored gum. If you didn’t like the lips, vampire fangs and moustaches were also available.• ThePittsburgh-basedD.L.ClarkCompanyhad a hit in 1917 with a chocolate-covered honey-comb of ground, roasted peanuts, simply called Clark Bar. This confection became so popular with U.S. troops stationed overseas in World War I, it became a giant sensation back at home as well. The same company produced the Zagnut candy bar begin-ning in 1930, a crunchy peanut butter bar covered in toasted coconut. The word “zigzag” became popular in the 1930s, and it’s believed that’s where the name originated.

• Manychildrenspenttheirallowanceonthecaramel Slo Poke suckers, because according to the familiar jingle, “Get yourself a Slo Poke, it lasts all day!” If you were a chocolate fan, you could purchase the similar Black Cow.• Howaboutourpreferredchewinggums?Three of our old favorites, Black Jack, Beemans and Clove were discontinued years ago, but the Cadbury Adams Company, which owns the formulas, cooks up a batch of each every couple of years. The licorice-flavored Black Jack gum was the first flavored gum in America. Back in the late 1800s, an Ohio physician Dr. Edward E. Beeman marketed a gum of pepsin powder and chicle, designed to aid digestion. Legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager made Beemans gum famous by chewing a stick before every flight for good luck. In fact, the antacid qualities of pepsin made the gum popular with pilots for reducing stomach agitation in flight. Clove gum was first manufactured in 1914 by Thomas Adams. Legend has it that Clove grew in pop-ularity during Prohibition because its strong smell masked the odor of illegal alcohol on the breath. The Beech Nut Company launched Fruit Stripe gum in the 1960s with a zebra as its “spokesman,” packag-ing it in zebra-striped wrappers. It was the only gum with stripes, which were added on after the gum was made. The down side of Fruit Stripe was that it lost its flavor very quickly, and now that it has been re-intro-duced, the complaint is the same — It’s pretty much flavorless in just over five minutes. • Chicago’sWilliamsonCandyStoreproducedand sold chocolate back around 1920. One of their young customers hung around the establishment so much, before long the employees were asking him to do little odd jobs, “Oh, Henry, could you do this?” and “Oh, Henry, will you bring me that?” Soon after, their newest confection was named the Oh Henry bar.

Handicapping the Chase

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their walks. My neighbor is suffering terrible grief, and I hate to think of anyone else, or their pets, suffering from preventable accidents. -- Sharon in Utica, N.Y.

DEAR SHARON: You’re right: While accidents do happen, many can be prevented by knowing how to correctly walk your dog on a leash. Reinforcing your dog’s basic obedience training, including sit, stay and heel commands, is an important daily task.If you’re having trouble controlling your dog on the leash despite following common leash-training techniques, contact a professional dog trainer for group or private sessions so you and your dog will learn to walk together safely.

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Last week a really tragic accident happened just down the street. Our neighbor was walking his 1-year-old German Shepherd, ?Champ,? on a sturdy leash. The dog tended to tug on his leash or jump away from his owner when something grabbed his attention. Sadly, when the owner paused to let his dog sniff at a tree on the curb while he waved to a neighbor, Champ suddenly darted into the busy street. Before his owner could tug him back on the curb, Champ was struck by a car and killed almost instantly.Please warn your readers to keep their dogs under control and on the sidewalk, even while on a leash, and to pay attention to their dogs during

Proper Leash Training Can Prevent Tragedy

By Samantha Mazzotta

FAMOUS LANDMARKS OF THE WORLD:CHRISTO REDENTOR

Watching over the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with outstretched arms, stands the Christo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer statue. This week, Tidbits imparts some little-known facts about this wonder of the mod-ern world. • Althoughitmayappearthatthisimmensestatue stands in the middle of the wilderness, it is actu-ally located in the heart of the city in the urban forest of Tijuca National Park. Christ the Redeemer stands atop the 2,300-foot (701-m) peak of Corcovado Moun-tain. The statue is visible from 20 miles (32.2 km) away. • ACatholicpriestnamedPedroMariaBossfirstproposed the idea for a religious monument overlook-ing Rio de Janeiro; however, his idea never reached fruition. It wasn’t until 1921 that it was put forward again, this time by the Catholic Circle of Rio. They launched a fund drive, soliciting donations from the public, and construction began in 1922.• Alocalengineercreatedthedesign,butFrench sculptor Paul Landowski was commissioned to do the sculpting. The statue was made from reinforced concrete with outer layers of soapstone. Stone was brought to the mountain from Sweden and construc-tion continued for the next nine years. The statue was officially unveiled in 1932. • Fromitsfoundationbasetothetop,ChristtheRedeemer stands 130 feet (40.4 m) tall, and has a span of 92 feet (28 m) from fingertip to fingertip, the tallest religious statue in the world. A 360-passenger train departs the nearby railway station every hour for the 20-minute trip to the site.

We’re experiencing a seasonal epidemic for West Nile virus, brought on by infected mosquitoes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. West Nile virus can cause serious illness for some people, even leading to death in a small percentage, especially those who have other medical conditions and those who above the age of 50.

In 2011, the total number of cases of West Nile virus for the whole year was 712. So far in 2012 the CDC has logged 1,590 cases and 65 deaths. In other words, it’s getting worse, and we need to know how to protect ourselves.

A fact sheet from the CDC gives some good advice.Outside your house: Empty any containers that can

hold standing water. This can include saucers under flower containers and any pots or buckets. Empty water in birdbaths weekly. It recommends emptying a pet’s outdoor water bowl weekly as well, but I would suggest doing it daily. You don’t want your pet to drink water that might have mosquito larva in it.

Inside your house: Make sure all your screens are tight to the window and do not have holes.

When you go out: Taking care that you don’t get bit by mosquitoes is probably the most crucial of all the preventions. Wear long sleeves and pants if you’re out when the mosquitoes are most active, which is dawn and dusk. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent.

If your community decides to spray for mosquitoes as a way of controlling West Nile virus, take care not to be outdoors when they spray. Keep windows closed.

For more information, especially the symptoms, go to the CDC site (www.cdc.gov) and search for West Nile virus, or call it at 1-800-232-4636 .

West Nile Virus

• Until2002,visitorshadtoclimb220stepsto reach the statue’s base. Panoramic elevators and escalators have now been installed to reach the viewing area. • Becauseofthestrongwindsandraintowhich the statue is exposed, regular maintenance is a must at this site. A 2008 lightning strike created extensive damage to the statue’s fingers and head, requiring immediate repairs to the exterior as well as to the lightning rods concealed in the arms and head. In 2010, a $3.8 million restoration was com-pleted. One hundred workers labored to renovate both the internal structure and outer appearance. Layers of fungi were removed and small cracks were repaired. More than 60,000 pieces of soapstone were replaced with stone taken from the same Swedish quarry as the original. This restoration also corrected the shocking vandalism that occurred when individuals spray-painted the statue, an act the mayor of Rio called a “crime against the nation.” • Duringthe2010renovation,adynamiclighting system was installed at the base of the monument to produce special effects. At the unveil-ing, green and yellow lights illumined the statue to cheer on the Brazilian national football team competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.• Theapocalypticmovie“2012”featuredtheRedeemer in a scene of destruction, with the statue collapsing at the arms and knees, crumbling into ruin. A billboard image of the statue’s fall posted in Los Angeles so offended that city’s Brazilian com-munity that a campaign was launched to have the ads removed. The Brazilian Catholic church even filed a lawsuit against Columbia Pictures for the use of what they claimed were “unauthorized images.”

Attempting to pick the winner of the Chase for the Sprint Cup is a hazardous proposition. The format is designed more to create an exciting process than to produce a just winner.No one would suggest that Tony Stewart’s spectacular 2011 championship -- not to mention the breathtaking competition with Carl Edwards -- was undeserved, but Stewart somehow managed to step up his game in a way that few, including him, could have anticipated. After going winless in the season’s first 26 races, Stewart won five of the final 10. Edwards lost by a tie-breaker after compiling the best average finish (4.9) in the history of the Chase. Edwards finished second in each of the final three races. Stewart won three of the final four and was third in the other.“I couldn’t predict it last year,” Stewart said. “I wasn’t good enough to predict it then. I’m not sure I’m going to be any bet-ter at predicting it now.“All 12 guys have a shot, and a good shot, I think.”Here’s one modest attempt to set the odds. Each driver has a one-in-12 shot.Just kidding.--Jimmie Johnson 4-1. Given his history, it’s impossible to pick anyone else.--Denny Hamlin 8-1. He’s tried and failed before, and he now has Stewart’s 2011 crew chief, Darian Grubb, in his corner.--Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10-1. He needs to win a few more races. If he can maintain his consistency, though, he’s still got a decent shot.--Brad Keselowski 10-1. He’s poised to give Dodge its last hurrah.--Tony Stewart 10-1. He pulled out of his slump at Richmond with a fourth-place finish.--Greg Biffle 12-1. He doesn’t lead the points now because he has only two victories, but winning the regular season counts ... a little.--Jeff Gordon 12-1. He made it, and now he’s going to have to be reckoned with. His average finish in the past three races is 2.33.--Clint Bowyer 15-1. The most recent winner must avoid the occasional disaster. He finished outside the top 25 four times during the first 26 races.--Matt Kenseth 20-1. In spite of claims to the contrary, he’s slipped since he announced he was leaving Roush Fenway at season’s end.--Kasey Kahne 20-1. Oh, he could win the championship, but it’s hard to see him as better than the fourth seed at Hendrick Motorsports.--Martin Truex Jr. 30-1. Maybe it won’t require a victory, but his most recent one was in 2007.--Kevin Harvick 35-1. In the last 13 races, he has two finishes better than 10th. That won’t cut it.

Handicapping the Chase

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40 Is the New 20

No less than five games out of the 17 played during the opening week of the NFL season were won by teams that plundered their foes for 40 points or more.According to the good folks at the Elias Sports Bureau, you have to go all the way back to the 1950s -- 1954 to be exact -- to find a like performance during the first week of the season. For a little context, that was the year that Bill Haley and His Comets topped the newly formed “Rock ‘n’ Roll” charts with “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock,” and Cousin Brucie was manning the wheels of steel. According to various sources, the average career of an NFL player is anywhere between 3.5 to 6 years. Using that as a sample we unearth the following numbers for teams scoring 40 or more points during the past few seasons: 2011-2; 2010-0; 2009-1; 2008-1; 2007-2.Clearly -- as if you needed to be told this -- the NFL is a passing league and you can expect to see scores like these become more and more commonplace. The pass-happy, always-go-for-it-on-fourth-down, “John Madden Football” gamers and the fantasy football players whose very lives seem to be pinned on their quarterback and wide receiver play helped shape this culture. As a topic, the passing game dominates the sports-radio call-in shows. But there’s another reason for this phenomenon: player injuries. Time was a team would run a back 40 to 50 plays per game. But that style of play wreaked havoc on not only the running back, but the people tackling him, too. The cry from the stands is always for “DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!” I can’t ever recall a time I’ve heard the fans chant “OFFENSE! OFFENSE!” But the writing was on the wall when the NFL instituted the “in the grasp” rule for quar-terbacks in 1991. The rash of concussions, particularly among high-profile quarterbacks like Steve Young and Troy Aikman, made it a ... well, no brainer. And as players became bigger and stronger each year, injuries and concussions grew in lock step. This has led to great concern among players and parents, who are increasingly keeping their kids off the Pop Warner fields.The game has progressed since the early 1900s, when people used to actually die due to trampling during a “flying wedge” play (since outlawed). Talk about points? The Chicago Bears crushed the Washington Redskins in the 1940 championship, 73-0. The Bears rushed for 382 yards and their starting quarterback only attempted 4 passes the entire game.Well that day is done. Forty is the new 20 folks, and if you ask me, we’re all the richer for it.

A SPORTING VIEWBy Mark Vasto

L o c a l l y O w n e d

P r o m o t i n g

L o c a l

B u s i n e s s e s

BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1) Neither; 2) Pharaoh; 3) Gideon; 4) Saul; 5) Sarah; 6) Lies

Answers

1. Ben Jonson2. The Beatles3. 100 square meters4. Clarence Birdseye5. Argentina and Chile6. Ruby7. Saturn8. 19709. “Finding Nemo”10. St. Joseph

“Put Tidbits In The Subject Line”

These days, hundreds of thousands of people crowd the parade route each year, and millions more view the television broadcast worldwide. The amount of work that goes into the display is astonishing: Each float has anywhere from 30,000 to 150,000 flowers on it, which are applied during the 700 to 900 hours spent on preparing each float.

¥ Beloved film icon James Dean was missing his front teeth; he had to wear a bridge to fill the gap in his smile.

¥ If you’re like the average American, at least one-tenth of the garbage you produce is made of plastic.

¥ The first sound recording ever made was created in 1877 by Thomas Edison. It was a musical selection: “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

¥ Those who study such things say that American English has roughly 20 swear words (depending, of course, on how one defines swearing). In contrast, residents of ancient Rome had a lexicon of about 800 “dirty” words to draw upon.

¥ If you’re planning a trip by air anytime soon, you might want to keep in mind that the busiest day in airports is Thursday. ***Thought for the Day: “The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” -- Terry Pratchett

¥ It was American actress, screenwriter and notorious sex symbol Mae West who made the following sage observation: “You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.”

¥ At the 2012 USA Memory Championship, Nelson Dellis set a new record for the memorization of random digits. At the annual event in New York City, Dellis accurately recalled a whopping 303 numbers in sequence.

¥ The Rose Parade, popularly known as America’s New Year Celebration, was originally started in 1890.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, found-ed in 1883, is the largest and oldest humane soci-ety in Alabama. Over the course of our history we have witnessed the changes in our community and yet have never left the original mission of Dr. Phil-lips “to promote respect for life through education and prevention of cruelty to animals and people”

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