TIDBITS® APPRECIATESMODERN CONVENIENCES

by Kathy WolfeThink of all those little things you just couldn’t live with-out. How long have they really been around? This week, Tidbits investigates the origin of several of those conve-niences we make use of on a regular basis.• Earl Tupper founded his company in 1938, promot-

ing his new line of polyethylene containers with air-tight seals named, appropriately, Tupperware. The items were initially sold in department stores, but in the early 1950s, the marketing strategy was changed to the familiar Tupperware “party.” Tupper didn’t just make bowls and cups; he also had a contract to make gas mask parts during World War II. He sold his plastics company in 1958 for $16 million.

• If you think we’ve always used envelopes, think again! This simple item didn’t come along until 1845. Prior to that, folks simply folded letters both ways and sealed them with wax. Pre-gummed envelopes weren’t intro-duced for another 50 years.

• We all take our polio vaccinations for granted, but they weren’t administered for the first time until 1954, in the city of Pittsburgh, where Dr. Jonas Salk had been con-ducting his experiments. A 1952 polio epidemic that killed 3,300 and paralyzed thousands inspired Dr. Salk to develop a vaccine.

• Chester Carlson spent a good part of his life perfecting the copy machine, receiving a patent in 1937. However, the world didn’t share his vision of one-touch copying, and 20 companies, including IBM, rejected his presen-tation before it was finally marketed for the first time in 1959 under the name “Xerox 914.” By 1968, Fortune magazine ranked Carlson among the richest people in America.

• The 1950s brought all kinds of innovations to the mod-ern home. Velcro, power steering, pocket transistor radios and Legos all hit the scene during this decade. The world’s first credit card, the Diners Club card, was introduced in 1950. Issued in New York City, it offered credit at 27 restaurants. The American Express card came along eight years later.

• When your eyes begin to age, you’ll be thankful for one of Benjamin Franklin’s innovations. Our founding fa-ther invented bifocal eyeglasses at the age of 79.

• Travelers have had the convenience of pulling into a Holiday Inn along the road since the chain opened its first hotel in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee.

• Masking tape was developed by the 3M Company, a

Week of April 30, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 11

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1. Which group was associated with the album titled “Red Rose Speed-way”?2. What is David Johansen’s other name?3. Who had a popular album titled

“All Hail the Queen”?4. Name the Foghat song that ended up on the “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” video game.5. Which trio released “The Second Time Around”?6. Name the band responsible for “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.”

Answers1. Paul McCartney & Wings, in 1973. Originally the album was to be two LPs, but in the end they released it as a single LP with nine songs.2. Buster Poindexter. Johansen began using that name in the 1980s when he was with the Uptown Horns. He scored his first big hit with “Hot Hot Hot” in 1987.3. Dana Elaine Owens, also known as Queen Latifah. The album went to No. 6 on the R&B charts. She’s had mul-tiple Grammy nominations, as well as winning a Golden Globe.4. “Slow Ride.” There are a number of versions of this 1977 song, ranging from 8 to 10 minutes.5. Shalamar, in 1979. The song went to No. 1 on both the R&B and Dance charts.6. The Ohio Express, in 1968. Astonishingly enough, the song went to No. 1 in Canada. The bubble-gum group fol-lowed up with “Chewy, Chewy.”

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Pack this in your lunch box and see if you don’t get an “at-titude adjustment” with the first bite!

1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped and undrained1/4 cup finely chopped onion1/4 cup fat-free Italian dressing1 teaspoon Italian seasoning3 cups cold cooked penne or rotini pasta, rinsed and drained1/3 cup sliced ripe olives1 (3.5 ounce) package Hormel reduced-fat pepperoni, diced1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine undrained stewed tomatoes, on-ion, Italian dressing and Italian seasoning. Stir in pasta, olives, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Add Parmesan cheese. Mix gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Gently stir again just before serving. Makes 6 (1 cup each) servings.

¥ Each serving equals: About 205 calories, 5g fat, 13g protein, 27g carb., 729mg sodium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Ex-changes: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Meat, 1/2 Vegetable.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULLiam invited Hope to Aspen with him for fashion week. Hope told Amber that she was no longer supporting her in

her quest for Rick. Bill forced his employees to make Hope’s life miserable in Aspen. Ridge told Pam and Donna to resolve their differences at work -- or else. Justin pleaded with Bill to quit putting Hope to the test. Hope panicked when the paparazzi surrounded her car in Aspen. Steffy was determined to win back Liam fair and square. As Liam and Steffy reminisced about their wedding in Aspen, Hope was once again swarmed by a group of pushy reporters. Steffy showed her charac-ter by helping Hope during a crisis. Wait to See: Bill reveals his real motive. Hope’s addiction affects an in-nocent bystander.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESStefano felt tremendous guilt after realizing that he in-advertently caused Lexie’s brain tumor to develop. Ni-cole was rushed to the hospital, where EJ was denied access to her. Gabi was upset to learn that Chad and Melanie were planning a romantic getaway. She later said that a headless doll was left on her doorstep by a stalker. Nicole tried to explain to Carrie that she and her baby needed Rafe in their lives. Stefano was back to his old self again after he sent a threatening text to Hope and John. Melanie suggested that Gabi move in with Chad for protection. Sami and Will kissed after spend-ing the day together with their kids. Wait to See: Brady wonders if Nicole is falling for Rafe. Sami and Lucas consider reuniting.

GENERAL HOSPITALConnie, Kate’s alter ego, convinced Johnny to join forc-es with her. Dante got wind of the mob’s involvement in black-market organ donation. Alexis unwittingly set Jason off at Sonny’s birthday celebration. Elizabeth re-luctantly revealed to Jason the news about Sam. Carly left in disgust after seeing Johnny and Kate locked in an embrace. Sam found herself confiding in McBain. Ewen pushed Kate toward a breakthrough in her thera-py session. Johnny regretted hurting Carly. Patrick sunk deeper into depression as he tried to cope with Robin’s death. Maxie’s mom, Felicia Jones, returned. Wait to See: Starr steals something of Johnny’s. Luke turns to Anna for help.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSMichael convinced Lauren to allow their son to return home. Daniel was accused of neglecting his daughter, so the judge granted former felon Daisy full custody. Daisy exercised her freedom by shopping at Lauren’s store. Ashley warned Tucker not to do business with Genevieve. Lauren pulled a gun on Daisy after she threatened Fen harm. Kyle returned to Genoa City all grown up. Tucker admitted to Ashley that his fight with Sofia was just a stunt. Victoria and Billy celebrated as Chelsea handed over her parental rights. Victor fired Michael after he didn’t make the call to the SEC. Kyle lashed out at Jack for dating his mother’s killer. Wait to See: Ashley learns about Tucker’s secret past with Genevieve. Cane faces pressure by the SEC.

sandpaper-making firm, in 1925. One of the company’s young engineers, Richard Drew, was testing sandpa-per at an automobile plant and noticed that painters were having difficulty painting the newly popular two-tone cars. Drew went back to 3M and immediately be-gan work on a product to solve the painters’ dilemma. Waterproof transparent “Scotch” tape came along five years later, also the creation of Richard Drew. A 3M co-worker of Drew’s invented the tape dispenser with a built-in cutter blade in 1932.

• Thanks to a Chicago inventor, Whitcomb Judson, you can zip up your pants! While experimenting in 1891 with a gadget that would make it easier to button and unbutton shoes, dubbed the “Clasp Locker and Unlock-er for Shoes,” Judson came up with the zipper.

• The fax machine has been around longer than you think. This device that transmits a facsimile of a docu-ment through the telephone system has been around since 1944. And how about another item you’d think has been around forever, the ballpoint pen? It came out the same year as that fax machine. Nine years later, Bic introduced their now-famous brand of ballpoint pen. In 1973, Bic presented its next best-selling gadget, the disposable lighter.

• Two unrelated items, the voting machine and waxed paper, were both invented by the same person, Thom-as Edison. During the 1880s, this brilliant individual filed for a new patent on the average of every five days, equaling more than 1,300 items over the course of his creative life. The motion picture camera and pro-jector, incandescent light bulbs and the phonograph are well-known Edison inventions, with lesser-known innovations being the stock ticker, dictating machine and electric pen.

• What would your life be like without computers? Al-though many would claim the honor of inventing the world’s first computer, a 1973 American court deci-sion officially awarded this achievement to Dr. John V. Atanasoff, a physics professor at Iowa State University. Although Dr. Atanasoff had devised his digital com-puter with a memory drum back in 1939, he was not credited as the “father of American computing” until after years of patent litigation. President George Bush conferred the National Medal of Science and Technol-ogy to him in 1990.

• The next time you strike a match, consider the fact that this little convenience has been around since 1816, when a Frenchman developed a friction match with a phosphorus tip, providing a simple means of access to fire.

• Do you run faster in your Nikes? No one did, prior to 1972. That’s the year the company introduced its first running shoes, named after the Greek goddess of vic-tory. The company was originally named Blue Ribbon Sports, and remained so until the name change to Nike in 1978.

• Listerine wasn’t named after its inventor, Dr. Joseph Lawrence, but rather after the acclaimed British sur-geon, Dr. Joseph Lister, a pioneer in establishing sani-tary operating room procedures. When Lawrence origi-nated the formula in 1879 in his St. Louis laboratory, he intended the concoction to be used strictly in the medical profession as a surgical antiseptic. It wasn’t of-fered to the public until 1914 when it was marketed as the first over-the-counter mouthwash.

• What would sports fans do without instant replays? There was no such thing until 1963, when this was in-troduced in that year’s Army vs. Navy football game. Fans became so confused, TV stations were flooded with telephone calls.

• Housewives across the country were thrilled when the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago launched The Thor, the first electric-powered washing machine, in 1908. It was a drum-like machine with a galvanized tub and electric motor.

• Due to the efforts of Lillian Gilbreth, we have shelves and butter and egg trays inside refrigerator doors, an electric food mixer, an improved electric can opener and a trash can with a foot pedal lid opener. The moth-er of 12 children, this industrial engineer was immor-talized in the book “Cheaper by the Dozen.”

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1. GEOGRAPHY: Where are the Faroe Islands located?2. TELEVISION: Which TV sitcom’s theme was the song “I’ll Be There for You”?3. ASTRONOMY: What planet is named for the Roman god of trade, thieves and travel?4. HISTORY: When did the United States repeal Prohibition, which forebade sales of alcohol?5. LEGAL: What is an affidavit?6. RELIGION: Which book of the Bible describes the Israel-ites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt?7. MONEY: What European country’s basic monetary unit was the escudo -- prior to the euro?8. POLITICS: What was the nickname for Teddy Roosevelt’s Progressive Party?9. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the purpose of gills in fish?10. MUSIC: What kind of bird was featured in the Disney song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”?

Answers1. Between Scotland and Iceland 2. “Friends” 3. Mercury 4. 19335. A written statement made under oath 6. Exodus 7. Portugal8. The Bull Moose Party 9. To take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide10. A bluebird

Q: While I don’t want “Desperate Housewives” to end, I am excited to see what’s in store for the series finale. Can you give me any hints? -- Tina D., via

e-mailA: A familiar face will return to Wisteria Lane for the show’s finale on May 13 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC. Dana Delany -- who currently stars in her own hit ABC show “Body of Proof” -- will reprise her role as Katherine Mayfair. The story behind her return has been kept hush-hush, so we’ll just have to wait and see what she’s up to.

***Q: Genie Francis is one of my all-time favorite actresses, and I just love her in the Hallmark Channel’s “The Note” series. Will there be a third movie? -- Catherine F., Harrisburg, Pa.A: Just in time for Mother’s Day, Genie Francis and Ted McGinley are back as newlyweds Peyton MacGruder and King Danville in “Notes from the Heart Healer,” premiering Sunday, May 13, on the

Hallmark Channel. The couple is celebrating their first anniversary when they are surprised by an abandoned baby on their doorstep. I spoke with Genie recently, and she was excited to explore the mothering aspect of the character, since Peyton gave up a child for adoption 20-some years earlier.“What I love most about Peyton is that she gets involved and she brings everything up as if it were a spiritual question like, ‘Why did I get this baby on my doorstep?’ She wants to help prevent the mother of this abandoned baby from ending up like her. Throughout this, there’s a healing for Peyton in that she knows that she’s got in her to be a good mother.”

***Q: My husband heard that Ryan O’Neal has cancer. Is that true? -- Hannah F., via e-mailA: Ryan, 70, recently announced that he is battling Stage 2 prostate cancer, and that he’s expected to make a full recovery. While he was “shocked and stunned” by the news, he is hopeful about his prognosis.

***Q: I can’t get enough “GCB,” and I especially love Heather Cruz. What can you tell me about the actress who plays her? -- Deena A., Norfolk, Va.A: Marisol Nichols plays feisty and independent real-estate

agent Heather Cruz. Marisol told me recently why she loves her character so much: “I could understand what she had to do to survive in this community, and I felt like she was the most grounded out of everybody. She worked her butt off to get to where she is: She didn’t inherit a business; she wasn’t born into money; she didn’t marry into it. She had to make it on her own, and that I can completely relate to. I’ve been working odd jobs since I was 12. I think I forged my ID when I was a kid so that I could work at 14. I wanted to work; I didn’t want to have to ask people for money.”

PHOTO: Genie Francis

HOLLYWOOD -- Johnny Depp adds another notch to his belt as the remake king when “Dark Shadows” opens May 11. Depp plays vampire Barn-abas Collins in what is being called a fantasy comedy. Director Tim Burton

wanted to remake this film since 2007, but was sidetracked by the writers’ strike. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elizabeth Col-lins Stoddard, originally created in the 1966 TV series by Joan Bennett of “Father of the Bride” (1950) and “Father’s Little Dividend” (l951), with Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor and Billie Burke; and “We’re No Angels” (l955), with Hum-phrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Basil Rathbone of “Sherlock Holmes” fame. Helena Bonham Carter plays Dr. Julia Hoff-man, originally played by Grayson Hall, Oscar nominated for “Night of the Iguana” (l964), with Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner.In l966, I was hooked on “Dark Shadows.” Here was a gothic soap about vampires. I wangled an invitation to the set from a young, unknown actress named Kate Jackson -- yes, the same Kate Jackson who starred on “The Rookies” and then “Char-lie’s Angels,” the show created especially for her! When David Selby of 2010’s “The Social Network” joined “Dark Shadows,” he was an instant sensation as Quinton Collins. But the man who caused the biggest sensation of all was Jona-than Frid, the Canadian actor who became an overnight star as vampire Barnabas Collins. Let’s not forget Lara Parker, the beautiful but deadly witch, Angelique, and Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans.“Dark Shadows” fans had their prayers answered by the 1970 film “House of Dark Shadows,” which had most of the origi-nal cast, including Frid, Bennett, Hall, John Karlan (who went on to star on TV’s “Cagney and Lacey”) and Kathryn Leigh Scott. That was followed a year later with “Night of Dark Shadows” with Selby, Jackson, Hall, Karlan and Lara Parker. In l991, NBC revived “Dark Shadows” as a series with Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins, Jean Simmons (of “Spartacus”) as Elizabeth Collins, British horror queen Barbara Steele as Dr. Julia Hoffman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as David Collins. Unfortunately, it ran only one season.Johnny Depp has admitted that Barnabas Collins was a boy-hood hero that he used to run home from school to watch. Die-hard “Shadows” fans might enjoy seeing Frid, Selby, Parker and Leigh Scott again when they appear as party guests during a ball at Collinwood Manor, which took three days to film at Pinewood Studios in London. Hopefully, turn-ing this classic soap into a tongue-in-cheek fantasy comedy won’t make it SUCK in all the wrong places!

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¥ On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads meet up in Promontory, Utah, making transcontinen-tal railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S. history. Journeys that had taken months by wagon train or weeks by boat now took only days.

¥ On May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpe-doed without warning by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland, with 1,198 people drowned. It was later revealed that the Lusitania was carrying about 173 tons of war munitions for Britain, which the Germans cited as justification for the attack.

¥ On May 12, 1925, a Philadelphia radio station broadcasts the first all-star radio program featuring film actors and actresses. Sound films had not yet debuted, and the broadcast marked the first time that most listeners had heard the voices of film stars like Lillian Gish and Marion Davies.

¥ On May 8, 1933, the first police radio system, connecting headquarters to patrol cars and patrol cars to one another, is installed in Eastchester Township, N.Y. The system consisted of one transmitter of 20 watts for the headquarters and two transmitters of 4.5 volts each for the two patrol cars.

¥ On May 13, 1956, Gene Autry’s musical variety show, “Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch,” airs its final broadcast, after 16 years. The show featured 10- to 15-minute skits about cowboys and rustlers, along with musical numbers by Autry, “America’s singing cowboy.”

¥ On May 9, 1960, the Food and Drug Administration approves the world’s first commercially produced birth-control bill. Development of “the pill” was commissioned by birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger and funded by heiress Katherine McCormick.

¥ On May 11, 1981, reggae legend Bob Marley dies of cancer in Miami Beach, Fla. Marley, born in Jamaica in 1945, formed his band, the Wailers, in 1963. In the early 1970s, the band’s records began to catch on outside Jamaica, assisted by Eric Clapton’s cover of “I Shot the Sheriff.”

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Five-time Cup series runner-up Mark Martin has worked his way to a respectable 20th in the points standings. As a part-time racer, he could make the Chase as a wild card. (John Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)

Martin Still in the Hunt

Mark Martin is a man of great en-thusiasm. At age 53, he is having a limited season of great success.Martin isn’t competing full-time this year. He’s the primary driver of Michael Waltrip Racing’s No.

55 Aaron’s Toyota, but has competed in only five of the seven Sprint Cup races to date. Nonetheless, he is a respectable 20th in the point standings. If he can maintain a spot in the top 20, he would be eli-gible for a wild-card spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.After a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, Martin said, “This is so much fun and such a privilege to drive a race car at this point in my career, to be able to drive a race car for a team like this.”Martin, from Batesville, Ark., has never won the Sprint Cup cham-pionship but has finished second five times: 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2009.“After (the Samsung Mobile 500) I’m really excited,” Martin said, “but I was excited anyway. There’s nothing else that I find quite as much fun as going to work with a great race team with a great at-titude. It’s fun for me to go to every race that I get to go to.”Martin has a reputation of, by his presence, improving every team for whom he has worked. He moved to MWR after three seasons at Hendrick Motorsports in Chevys. He competed in Jack Roush’s Fords 1988-2006.The third-place showing in Texas on April 15 came in Martin’s 835th Cup race and was his 267th top-five finish. His 40th and most recent victory occurred at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 20, 2009.Martin’s full-time teammates, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer,

currently rank fourth and 10th, respectively, in the Cup point stand-ings.“We’re racing three cars to put two in the Chase, for sure, and win races, and try to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Hendrick and Roush (Fenway Racing) and those guys. That’s a tall order for right now, but I’m very proud of the results we’re getting. It’s coming from a lot of good attitudes and hardworking people,” Martin said.

Is Dog Allergic to Fleas?

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My dog is possibly allergic to fleas. What herbal remedy is out there for me to use? My vet has tested her for food allergies, but I don’t think that’s the problem. She’s 8 years old and has eaten the foods the tests say she is allergic to, but she has developed the itching only recently. I use flea drops, shampoos, even predisone. The

predisone seems to help the most, although you cannot use it for prolonged times. Could it be stress-related? -- Ora M., via email

DEAR ORA: Stress is one possibility in the puzzle that makes up pet allergies. But reducing your dog’s stress might not be the only way to stop her itching and irritation.You’ve worked with your vet to learn that her food is not likely the cause of her allergic reaction. That’s a good start. And you’re right: prednisone is not a long-term solution to the itching problem, although it does help alleviate symptoms.Fleas are another possibility. Have you observed fleas on your dog’s coat or skin, or found the tiny black or brown specks known as flea dust? Even if you don’t see evidence of fleas, treat her to prevent the pests and reduce the likelihood of fleas around the house by vacuuming twice a week -- carpet and furniture -- and washing linens, pillows, curtains and other items that are tempting flea residences.Stress could be a byproduct of the allergic itching. You can try a homeopathic treatment such as Rescue Remedy, usually adding five drops to her water dish once per day. But talk to her vet as well about other ways to reduce her stress levels to see if that helps clear the itchy irritation.

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Page 6 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116¥ “My best friend recently had her first child. For her baby shower, we decided to get together and cook her several meals that could be frozen

and go right from the freezer to the oven. This way, she has many meals to grab in the first few sleepless weeks.” -- E.S. in Mississippi

¥ Need to save money grocery shopping? Studies show that if you shop when the store is least busy, you’ll make smarter decisions. Try shopping at off-peak hours, such as later in the evening or early in the morning. Or try your store on Wednesday, traditionally the least busy day of the week.

¥ “I was making cookies last week and needed to roll out the dough, but I couldn’t find my rolling pin anywhere. In a pinch, I pulled a bottle of wine off my wine rack and wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. It did the trick. I’m thinking I just might save the next empty bottle, clean the label off and use it as a rolling pin. I can store it right there in my rack!” -- O.V. in Oregon

¥ Add shredded veggies to tomato sauce to up the veggie quotient. Many vegetables can be included without adding many calories and will not change the taste that much. Try carrots, squash or sweet potatoes. You can even add a tablespoon or two of canned, pureed pumpkin.

¥ “I like the smaller size of kids’ meals at the drive-thru. I save the toys in a box, then I drop them off with a teacher friend to use as rewards in her classroom.” -- A Reader, via email

¥ “I found a bunch of guttering at a garage sale super-cheap, and was inspired to bring it INSIDE my house. I purchased end pieces at my local hardware store and cut the gutters to fit inside my closet. They line the wall all the way up in horizontal rows. I use them to keep shoes, purses, even small baskets of accessories. It’s wonderful.” -- T. in Tennessee

Plan a Family Career Day

If you ask 4-year-old Axel Nelson, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” his first response might not be “a university

librarian,” but who knows where his career path will lead thanks to a few “going to work” outings with his grandpa Bryce,

university librarian at Seattle Pacific University.

“When we walk through the main door hand in hand, my pint-size visitor is excited when he is greeted with smiles from staff and students,” says Bryce. While

the long rows and tall stacks are still a bit intimidating for him, he likes to head directly for my office, where we check out my baseball memorabilia and have

a ‘meeting’ together over cups of tea. Now whenever we see each other, his first question for me is ‘Grandpa, how were your meetings?’”

Do your kids really know what you do when you head off to work? To clear up the mystery, set a date and make plans to take them along. Introduce them to

co-workers, show them around and have a snack or lunch together. They’ll feel special and important wearing an ID or visitor’s badge. And if you have an

office or specific space, kids will be excited to see their photographs or their original paintings displayed on your desk or wall.

If children are not allowed in your workplace during regular business hours, make arrangements for an after-hours tour.

Here are more ways you can share the idea of work with your kids:

--Familiarize your children with the work skills of your ancestors. Compile a list of relatives, and interview them or gather information from your family tree.

Was great-grandfather a farmer? You may enjoy visiting a living-farm museum this summer to see what that job used to be like.

--For preschoolers, make a simple booklet together filled with pictures and brochures illustrating what you do during your workday. If you’re an at-home

parent, the book will show that caring for home and family also is important work.

--Talk with your school-age kids about their present interests and skills, and how they eventually might apply to a future vocation.

¥ It was Canadian author Saul Bellow who made the following

sage observation: “You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.”

¥ The U.S. military has created self-cleaning underwear. Yep. It seems they wanted skivvies that soldiers could wear for several weeks without changing. Nanoparticles and chemicals in the fabric repel liquids and bacteria.

¥ More books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than about any other American

president -- more than 15,000 to date.

¥ It is only to be assumed that Arabella Young, a Massachusetts woman who died in 1771, was considered to be a bit too talkative. Otherwise there would have been no need for the following epitaph: “Here lies as silent clay / Miss Arabella Young, / Who on the 21st of May / Began to hold her tongue.”

¥ Be glad that you did not have the misfortune to be in Bangladesh during record storms in 1985. You might have been brained by the record hailstones, some weighing more than 2 pounds each.

¥ You might not be surprised to learn that among

his Hollywood friends, screen legend and notorious drinker Humphrey Bogart was nicknamed Whiskey Straight.

¥ The founders of the Arby’s chain were a pair of brothers, Forest and Leroy Raffel. They wanted to name the original restaurant Big Tex, but found that the name was already owned by someone else. They settled on Arby’s to represent the initials R.B.’s for Raffel Brothers.

***Thought for the Day: “I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” -- Yogi Berra

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POST OFFICE TRUTHSThe United States Post Office delivers mail to every city and every town in every state, nearly 151 million homes, businesses and P.O. boxes. Here are some details about the origin and operation of this immense delivery system, one that receives none of its income from tax dollars. • During the early colonial days, mail was delivered by

friends, traveling merchants or Native Americans. A service between England and its colonies was developed in 1639, and a Boston tavern became the first post office mail drop for overseas mail. The colonies instituted their own monthly post route between New York and Boston, known as the Old Boston Post Road, now part of U.S. Route 1.

• Pennsylvania’s founder William Penn established that area’s first post office in 1683. In 1737, 31-year-old Benjamin Franklin, a local printer and publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette, was appointed as postmaster of Philadelphia. Thirty-eight years later, Franklin became the nation’s first Postmaster General, and was paid $1,000 a year for the position.

• America’s first postage stamps were issued in July of 1847, with two varieties available. The five-cent stamp featured the likeness of Benjamin Franklin, while the ten-cent denomination honored George Washington. The stamps were pre-gummed, but had to be cut from a sheet with scissors. Washington’s likeness has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any other person’s.

• Every day, approximately 563 million pieces of mail are processed. That’s about 23 million pieces each hour, and 391,000 per minute.

• The Post Office operates more than 215,000 vehicles, making it the largest civilian fleet in the world. These vehicles drive over 4 million miles each day. Each time the price of gas increases by just one penny, there is an increase of $1 million in costs to the Post Office. However, not every mail carrier drives a vehicle –— about 8,800 deliver the mail strictly on foot and have earned the nickname “The Fleet of Feet.”

• In the early 1960s, with the volume of mail increasing dramatically, the Post Office began working on a coding system to enable faster processing. It was dubbed the Zoning Improvement Plan, or ZIP, for short. A five-digit code was assigned to every address across the nation, with the first number designating the geographical area and the second two digits identifying a regional center. The last two signified the post office. The ZIP Code system went into effect in July 1963. Today there are more than 42,000 codes nationwide.

• If a ZIP code begins with a zero, it indicates the northeastern part of the United States. The lowest ZIP code identifies Holtsville, New York. ZIP codes beginning with nine designate the far West, with the nation’s highest ZIP code of 99950 in Ketchikan, Alaska. General Electric in Schenectady, New York, has been assigned the easiest to remember, 12345.

• Houston, Texas, is the leader in the number of dog attacks on mail carriers. Last year, nearly 5,700 postal employees were attacked, with medical expenses costing the Postal Service close to $1.2 million.

• The nation’s smallest post office can be found in Ochopee, Florida, measuring just 61.3 square feet. New York City is home to the largest facility, with 393,000 square feet. Hinsdale, New Hampshire’s post office has been in its current location longer than any other — 195 years!

The Other, Deadlier Kind of Stroke

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: In Octo-ber of last year, my husband, age 63, died of a brain hemorrhage (stroke). He was a youthful, health-conscious man, now sorely missed by his wife,

family and friends. This tragedy was due to undiagnosed high blood pressure, since he, like many men, refused to visit the doctor. Please encourage people, especially 55 and older, to have a checkup so they don’t suffer a similar fate. -- R.A.

ANSWER: My sincerest condolences to you and your family. I hope many who read your letter will take your advice.I’ve written about ischemic stroke, the kind that comes from a plugged brain artery. It accounts for most strokes. The letter-writer’s husband suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, one that comes from bleeding from a brain artery.Hemorrhagic strokes have an abrupt onset. A person can be fine one minute, and the next there’s a profound change. He or she can’t move an arm or a leg, can’t talk or has a sudden, severe headache. Shortly the person becomes unresponsive. For 50 percent of people with a hemor-rhagic stroke, death is the final step, and it often comes quickly.Differentiating a stroke caused by bleeding from one caused by artery plugging is not something for an untrained person to attempt. Con-fronted by someone who has the signs of a stroke, an untrained person

should call for immediate help.As Mrs. R.A. points out, high blood pressure is one of the most com-mon medical conditions responsible for a hemorrhagic stroke. Preven-tion of these lethal strokes depends on knowing what your blood pres-sure is. Keeping blood pressure in the normal range is the best way to prevent them. The trouble with high blood pressure is that it seldom produces any signs until it’s too late. The booklet on stroke presents the different kinds, their treatment and their prevention. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 902W, 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: I am an 82-year-old man with a history of two cancers, prostate and bladder, two knee replacements and lots of osteoarthritis. In spite of all that, I’m in good shape. I work out every day, I tour by bicycle 20 to 25 miles in a day, and I’ve lots of energy. About four months ago, the strangest thing started happening to me. Every time I eat, my nose starts to run. It’s not a real problem, but it mystifies me. Why does it happen? -- D.M.

ANSWER: It is strange, and it has a name -- gustatory rhinitis, a classy way of saying “runny nose when you eat.” Hot and spicy foods of-ten provoke the reaction. Some consider it a reflex that has no useful purpose. If you’re going out to eat and don’t want to be embarrassed, taking an antihistamine about an hour before the meal might work. The nasal spray Astelin has a good reputation for stopping the drip. Don’t use these every day. Save them for a special occasion.

Were You Alive in 1940?

When the eagerly awaited 1940 Census results came out online recently, millions of genealogy hunters flooded the website within the first few hours. Some of those, it’s feared, were scammers out to extract information they’ll use on seniors.There are 20 million seniors who were alive when the 1940 Census was done. The questions asked in-

cluded current street address, occupation, level of education, whether the person had a Social Security card and more.One of the concerns now is that if someone is out to steal your identity, they could use the Census information to create a scam. For example, a scammer could determine where you likely went to high school, then call you and claim to have been a classmate. Scammers could even pretend to be someone else who lived on your street at that time. After a short reminiscence, you might be conned into revealing information about your current life.That sounds like a lot of work for crooks who want a more immediate return for their efforts. It’s not likely to happen.Still, it makes sense to consider the possibilities. If you get a call or email out of the blue from someone who alleges to be a former classmate or childhood friend, don’t give out any information without verifying who it really is. Even then, beware.The usual cautions always apply: Leave your Social Security card at home. Shred any documents that have your name or account numbers on them before putting them in the trash. When you pay with a credit card, keep your eyes on the card to make sure a number “skimmer” isn’t used. Don’t leave outgoing mail in the box at home. And don’t give any information over the phone to someone who calls without verifying who it is.

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Is Coupon Clipping Worth the Effort?

Clipping coupons can shave dollars off your grocery bill. While it might see like more trouble than it’s worth, you can save serious money if you develop a plan and stick to it.

Start by checking the Sunday newspaper each week. Add up the value of the cou-pons you’ll actually use and determine if it’s worthwhile buying additional news-papers just for the ads. If products you regularly use have coupons, take that as an opportunity to stock up. Many stores run sales at the same time that coupons appear in newspapers, increasing your savings.If you have a computer and a printer, a whole world of potential savings opens up, as there are dozens of websites devoted to couponing. As a starting point on the In-ternet, check these websites to see if they appeal to you: www.coupons.com (click on Deals by State), www.dealseekingmom.com, www.redplum.com and www.fat-wallet.com.Many sites insist that you sign up with an email address, so create a separate email account just for couponing. You might need to sign up for a weekly or monthly newsletter that will include printable coupons. In other cases, once you sign in, you’ll be able to print coupons immediately. Some ask for your ZIP code so the coupons can be targeted to stores in your area.Set a goal for your couponing. Do just want to shave dollars off your weekly gro-cery bill? Do you want to concentrate only on the high-dollar items in your grocery bill, such as diapers or pet food? Will you use the extra cash for family fun, or put the money in a savings account, or use it to pay off credit-card debt? Knowing what your specific goals are can help you stay consistent.Unless you find over time that you’re extremely serious about saving money with coupons, don’t fall for the DVD workshops and CDs that will teach you how clip coupons. You’ll net plenty of savings with a modest effort that doesn’t cost you anything. If you save $5 a week, that’s $5 that stays in your wallet. To decide if couponing is for you, spend an hour a few days a week searching online for coupons and clipping them from the newspaper. Try it for three weeks. Then add up your savings. Decide if a regular effort is a potentially significant money saver for you.