Vol. 1 Issue 15

8
JBurke Publishing For Ad Rates call: (206) 902-7557 www.tidbitsofsno-king.com December 6-12, 2012 Baby, it’s cold outside! As we head into the season of cold temperatures, Tidbits pres- ents some interesting and informative facts about winter. • For those of us in the northern hemi - sphere, the first day of winter is the day the sun is farthest south, on either Decem- ber 21 or 22. Also known as the Winter Solstice, it’s the shortest day of the year, with about 9.5 hours of daylight. • A snowflake starts out as an ice crystal that freezes around a tiny piece of dust in the air. It can be just one ice crystal, or as it falls, several crystals can join together. There are always six sides, and although two snowflakes may be very similar, none are exactly the same. The shape and form are dependent on the temperature, water vapor in the air, moisture content of the cloud, the wind, and the length of time it takes to reach the ground. Extremely cold weather produces very fine, powdery snowflakes, while temperatures near the freezing point cause much larger and more complex ones. The average snowflake falls at the rate of about 3.1 mph (5 km/hr) and it can take several hours for one to make it to the ground. • The Guinness World Book of Records cites the world’s largest snowflake ever recorded as one that fell in Fort Keogh, Montana in January of 1887. This giant was 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick. turn the page for more! Vol. 1 Issue 15 Your Local Roofing Expert Roofing, New Construction, Remodel, Commerical, Residential...we do it all! www.summitconstructionandroofing.com Call us today for a quote! (253) 839-2400 We are a family-owned business with 30 years of experience ready to help you with any construction project, big or small. OF SNO-KING COUNTIES The Designer’s Rack an Exclusive Resale Boutique 16300 Aurora Ave. North Von’s Square - Suite C Shoreline, WA 98133 (206) 542-9600 (206) 522-5152 For more than 30 years Queen Anne Painting has earned its exceptional rep- utation by delivering exactly what you expect in a painting contractor. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Console and Game Repair Buy & Sell Used Games at 2 Great Locations www.seattlegamegurus.com Terrace Village Barber Shop (425) 672-4450 22003 66th Avenue West Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 Mia Roma 7620 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore, WA 98028 For reservation or take-out call: (425) 486-6200 Lunch: Tues. - Sun. 11:30 am - 2 pm Dinner: Monday - Sunday 4 pm - 10 pm The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read TIDBITS® PRESENTS SOME INTERESTING WINTRY FACTS by Kathy Wolfe Leading Manufacturer of Single-Ply Roofing Membranes Since 1978. Summit Construction and Roofing is a certified installer of IB Roof Systems. Call (253) 839-2400 for an estimate! We are so confident with our systems that every residential roof comes with a 100% lifetime material warranty. Lifetime Warranty Party Favors, Cards, Gifts, Wrapping Paper, Balloons, Birthdays, and more! (206) 363-0966 20136 Ballinger Way NE Suite A-05A Shoreline, WA 98155 FREE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007

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Vol. 1 Issue 15

Transcript of Vol. 1 Issue 15

Page 1: Vol. 1 Issue 15

The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2006

FREEALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007

JBurke Publishing For Ad Rates call: (206) 902-7557 www.tidbitsofsno-king.com

December 6-12, 2012

Baby, it’s cold outside! As we head into the season of cold temperatures, Tidbits pres-ents some interesting and informative facts about winter.

• For those of us in the northern hemi-sphere, the first day of winter is the day the sun is farthest south, on either Decem-ber 21 or 22. Also known as the Winter Solstice, it’s the shortest day of the year, with about 9.5 hours of daylight.

• A snowf lake starts out as an ice crystal that freezes around a tiny piece of dust in the air. It can be just one ice crystal, or as it falls, several crystals can join together. There are always six sides, and although two snowf lakes may be very similar, none are exactly the same. The shape and form are dependent on the temperature, water vapor in the air, moisture content of the cloud, the wind, and the length of time it takes to reach the ground. Extremely cold weather produces very fine, powdery snowf lakes, while temperatures near the freezing point cause much larger and more complex ones. The average snowf lake falls at the rate of about 3.1 mph (5 km/hr) and it can take several hours for one to make it to the ground.

• The Guinness World Book of Records cites the world’s largest snowf lake ever recorded as one that fell in Fort Keogh, Montana in January of 1887. This giant was 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick.

turn the page for more!

Vol. 1 Issue 15

Your Local Roofing Expert

Roofing, New Construction, Remodel, Commerical,

Residential...we do it all!

www.summitconstructionandroofing.com

Call us today for a quote!

(253) 839-2400

We are a family-owned business with 30 years of experience ready to help you with any construction project, big or

small.

OF SNO-KING COUNTIES

The Designer’s Rackan Exclusive Resale Boutique

16300 Aurora Ave. NorthVon’s Square - Suite CShoreline, WA 98133

(206) 542-9600

(206) 522-5152

For more than 30 years Queen Anne Painting has earned its exceptional rep-utation by delivering exactly what you

expect in a painting contractor.

Monday – Thursday 12-9Friday – Saturday 12-11Sunday 12-7

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Console and Game RepairBuy & Sell Used Games

at 2 Great Locationswww.seattlegamegurus.com

Terrace VillageBarber Shop

(425) 672-445022003 66th Avenue WestMountlake Terrace, WA 98043

Mia Roma

7620 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore, WA 98028For reservation or take-out call: (425) 486-6200

Lunch: Tues. - Sun. 11:30 am - 2 pmDinner: Monday - Sunday 4 pm - 10 pm

The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

OVER 4 MILLION

Readers WeeklyNationwide! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2007

FREE

TIDBITS® PRESENTS SOME INTERESTING

WINTRY FACTSby Kathy Wolfe

Leading Manufacturer of Single-Ply Roofing Membranes Since 1978.

Summit Construction and Roofing is a certified installer of IB Roof Systems.Call (253) 839-2400 for an estimate!

We are so confident with our systems that every residential roof comes with a 100% lifetime material warranty.

Lifetime Warranty

Party Favors, Cards, Gifts,

Wrapping Paper, Balloons,

Birthdays, and more!

(206) 363-096620136 Ballinger Way NE

Suite A-05AShoreline, WA 98155

The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2006

FREEALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007

Page 2: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Page 2 Tidbits® of Dallas CountyTidbits® of Sno-King Counties

• Although you might think every big snowstorm is a blizzard, the National Weather Service has a specif ic definition of one. The storm must contain “large amounts of snow or blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph (56 km/hr) and visibilities of less than _ mile (.4 km) for at least three hours.”

• Those folks who are afraid of snow are called chionophobics. Their greatest fear is of being snowbound or stranded. A forecast of a winter storm can bring on cold sweats, racing heartbeat, and panic attacks.

• The wind chill factor is the temperature felt on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill index was developed by two Antarctic explorers in the 1940s, who experimented with how fast water froze in differing temps and wind speeds. This was then compared with the rate that the body loses heat. If the temperature is 0° F (-18° C) and the wind is blowing 30 mph (48 km/hr), it will feel like the tempera-ture is -26° F (-32° C). Skin exposed to 0° F and only 15 mph (24 km/hr) will expe-rience a wind chill of -19° F (-28° C) can freeze in as little as 30 minutes.

• Hypothermia is a very real danger in many parts of the country this time of year. This condition occurs when the body’s temperature drops below 95° F (35° C). As the temperature decreases, the body automatically directs blood away from the skin, increasing f low to the vital organs. Since the heart and brain are the most sensitive to cold, a slowdown oc-curs in their electrical activity. Think-ing and reasoning are affected, and the person has the desire to sleep as delirium sets in. When the body’s temperature reaches about 82° F (28° C), the heart rate substantially slows down, and if the temperature reaches 68° F (20° C) brain function stops. About half of all hypo-thermia deaths are people over 60 years old, with 75% of these occurring in men.

• It’s been a long time since the record for a single day’s snowfall was set in the United States. Back in December of 1913, Georgetown, Colorado received 63 inches (1.6 meters) in one day. Canada’s record is much newer – 57 inches (1.45 meters) fell in Tahtsa Lake West, British Columbia in 1999. January of 1911 was a record-set-ting month in Tamarack, California – 390 inches (9.9 meters) of snow in a single month! Valdez, Alaska is the snowiest place in the U.S., averaging 326 inches (8.3 meters) a year.

• Bethel, Maine’s claim to fame is tall snow creatures! In 1999, the community planned for f ive months and labored 15 days to create Angus, a 113’ 7” (34.63 meter) tall snowman, the world’s tallest, overtaking the previous record set by the citizens of Yamagata, Japan, of 96’ 7”. Nine years later, Bethel rivaled their own record with the world’s tallest snow wom-an, a 122’ 1” (37 meters) creation named Olympia. Olympia sported eyelashes made from skis and lips fashioned from bright red painted tires. Her arms were crafted from pine trees.

turn the page for more!

Hi Tidbits readers!

It’s another beautiful holiday week in our community and we can tell it’s getting close to Christmas! You’ll find a fun holiday craft on page 4 and keep an eye out for the Seahawks schedule listed on page 5. This weekend they meet up with the Cardinals at home. Everyone ready to be the 12th man?

We hope you’ll also read our Giving Guide on page 4. We’ve gathered a list of local food drives that are currently in progress at local businesses to help spread the word. If you know of any others, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you so much for ready! Happy Holidays!

Harrison and Jennifer BurkeOwners/PublishersJBurke Publishing

[email protected]

(206) 902-7557

A Note from the EditorsWINTRY FACTS

(continued):

Want to see your ad here?

Call us! (206) 902-7557Harrison & Jennifer Burke

Owner/PublisherJBurke Publishing

[email protected]

The Tidbits® Paper is a Division of Tidbits Media, Inc. • Montgomery, AL 36106(800) 523-3096 • E-mail: [email protected] • All Rights Reserved ©2008

Information in the Tidbits® Paper is gathered from sources considered to bereliable but the ac cu ra cy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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Page 3: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Page 3For Advertising Call (206) 902-7557

• Canadians are experts at making snow angels. In 2004, students, parents, and teachers from 60 schools in the London, Ontario district hit the ground to create 15,851 snow angels simultaneously. In 2011, 22,022 folks in 130 separate loca-tions in Nova Scotia produced the most angels in multiple locations.

• Chamonix, France hosted the f irst Winter Olympics for 11 days in early 1924. Sixteen nations sent a total of 258 athletes to “The International Win-ter Sports Week” to par ticipate in 16 different events. Finland and Norway took the majority of the 43 medals, Norway with 17 and Finland, 11. The United States took home four medals, and Canada took home one, the gold for hockey, the f irst of a streak. Out of the f irst seven Olympic winter games, Canada took the gold medal in hockey six times.

• Squaw Valley, California was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the skiers were more than a lit tle nervous as the competition approached. The rea-son? There was no snow! A local Native American tr ibe, the Piute, were recruit-ed to do a “snow dance,” and a miracu-lous storm produced the snow needed to save the Games.

• More than 150 people are killed in the world’s avalanches each year. Although many are small slides of dry powdery snow that don’t create much damage, when large slabs of snow loosen from a mountainside, they can advance down a slope at speeds of 80 mph (130 km/hr) within f ive seconds. About 93% of those caught in an avalanche can survive if rescued within 15 minutes. Just 30 minutes later, that survival rate drops to 20%-30%. After two hours, the rate is almost nil.

WINTRY FACTS(continued):

WINTRY FACTS(continued):

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (no substitu-tions), softened1/2 cup sugar1 large egg1 tablespoon vanilla extract3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powderAssorted colored granulated sugars for decoratingOrnamental frosting, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. In-crease speed to high, beat until light and creamy. At low speed, beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour and baking powder just until blended.2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.3. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. With floured 2- to 3-inch assorted cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible, wrap and refrigerate trim-mings. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on large ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle cookies with colored sugar now if you like, or frost after bak-ing.4. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer cook-ies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.5. When cookies are cool, use frost-ing to decorate cookies as desired. Sprinkle colored sugars as desired on frosting before it dries. Allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour. Store cookies in tightly cov-ered container up to 2 weeks. Yields 96 cookies.

• Each serving (1 cookie with frost-ing or decoration): About 40 calo-ries, 2g total fat (1g saturated), 7mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 5g total carbs, 0g dietary fiber, 1g protein.

For thousands of triple-tested reci-pes, visit our website at www.good-housekeeping.com/recipefinder/.

(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved

Christmas Butter Cookies

• It was the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, who made the fol-lowing observation: “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”

• Those who study such things say that a rain-bow can’t be seen at midday; the optical phe-nomena are visible only in the morning or in the late afternoon.

• In 1982, a radio station in Allentown, Pa., thought its rating could use a bit of a boost, so it came up with a contest: Three contestants, selected at random, would live on top of one of the station’s billboards (portable toilets and sleeping bags were provided). The last one to give up would be awarded a mobile home. The problem was, nobody wanted to give up. The three men who climbed to the top of the sign at the end of September were still there come March 1983. In that month, one of the contestants was arrested for dealing drugs, but the remaining two stayed aloft until May. Once the freezing winter was finally over, the radio station decided to declare both of the men winners.

• As the end of the year approaches, you might consider an old British tradition of fortune-telling. Light a candle, place it on the floor and jump over it. If the flame does not go out, you’re likely to enjoy good luck dur-ing the coming year.

• If you’re like the average American, you use between 75 and 100 gallons of water every day.

• The Sahara Desert is nearly as large as the continental United States.

***

Thought for the Day: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.” -- W.C. Fields

© 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

by Samantha Weaver

Page 4: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 4 Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties

Turn your saved 2011 holiday cards and this year’s all-occasion greeting cards into nifty gift boxes. These little, easy-to-make boxes are ideal for wrapping flat items such as a gift card, photo frame, jew-elry, collec-tor’s base-ball, football or basketball cards, a DVD, a CD or a ticket to a movie, concert or play.

It’s especially fun for kids to choose cards to suit the personality of the person receiv-ing the gift. For the romantic, pick a card illustrated with roses or a beautiful country scene. Or, if there is a December birthday coming up, look through your old cards to fit the occasion, such as “Happy Birthday to a Special Aunt.”

From Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties

The illustration also might provide a clue for guessing the contents of the box. A snowy, wintry scene of the mountains would

be a perfect choice if the gift is a lift ticket for a day of skiing.

Here’s how to make a box that is 3/4-inch deep:

1. Cut a stan-dard-style greet-ing card along its center fold. The front of the card will be the lid of

the box. The back of the card will become the bottom of the box; trim this piece 1/8 inch on all four sides, since you will want the bottom of the box to be smaller than the lid. If you wish to cover the verse or message on the inside of the card, glue a piece of con-struction paper on top.

2. Start with the lid. On the back side of the front of the card, mea-sure and draw (with a pencil) four lines the length and width of the card, 3/4 of an inch from the edges. Follow one of the lines at each corner and use scissors to cut a single 3/4-inch slit using the line as a guide -- one cut at each of the four corners. You will have four slits.

Turn Last Year’s Cards Into Holiday

Gift Boxes

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We’re giving you another reason to

this holiday season!Walk-ins WelcomeDSHS and PPO ProviderNew Patient Specials Evening Appointments Available

WHO: Tina’s Hair Salon and TanningWHAT: Food Drive - Bring canned or non-

perishable food items or toiletriesWHERE: 22726 44th Ave W., Mountlake Ter-

race - (425) 775-5393Receive $1.00 off your Service, Tanning or

Retail per can donated(Maximum discount of $10 per visit)

WHEN:Donations accepted through December 31st

WHO: Kenmore US Bank with Northwest Harvest

WHAT: Food Drive - Bring canned foods and non-perishables

WHERE: 6460 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore - (425) 485-9510

WHEN:Donations accepted through December 31st

3. Fold the card along the four lines, bending the corners and tucking in the flap where you have made the slits. Add a drop of household glue to the corner flaps to hold them in place.

4. Measure, clip, fold and glue or tape the bottom of the box in the same manner. Let glue dry.

5. Trim a piece of tissue paper and place in the box with the gift. Tie with a ribbon, and your gift is ready to give.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Home for the Holidays!Last minute remodeling? A

check up for your roof? Fire-place cleaning and repairing?

With our help, your home can be ready.

www.summitconstructionandroofing.com

Call us today for a free quote!

(253) 839-2400

We are a family-owned business with 30 years of experience ready to help you with any construction project, big or

small. Let us help make your holiday season perfect.

Page 5: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Page 5For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674(206) 902-7557

Seattle Seahawks Schedule

Dec. 9 Seahawks vs. CardinalsDec. 16 Seahawks vs. BillsDec. 23 Seahawks vs. 49ers

FAMOUS LANDMARKSOF THE WORLD:CHICHEN ITZA

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is home to the ancient ruins of the most famous Mayan city, Chichen Itza. Here are some enlight-ening facts about this site, named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. • One of the largest Mayan cities, Chichen Itza covered an area of at least 1.9 square miles (5 sq. km). It was an active urban center of the Mayan empire from 750 to 1200 A.D. • The ancient Mayan civilization dis-played brilliant mathematical and astro-nomical skills. They were keen observers of the sun, moon, planets, and stars, even predicting solar eclipses from their state-of-the-art observatory, El Caracol, which still stands at the site today. • The most familiar structure at Chichen Itza is the Kukulkan Pyramid, also known as El Castillo. This 98-foot (30-m) tall ceremonial temple is a specimen of this civilization’s development of the 365-day calendar. It has 365 steps rising to the top, with each of its four sides containing 91 steps and the top platform making the 365th. Enormous sculptures of a serpents’ heads are at the base of the pyramid on the northern staircase, the principal sacred path to the top. The temple is geographically po-sitioned so that twice a year, on the spring and autumn equinoxes, at sunset, a shadow falls on the pyramid that makes it appear

that the serpent Kukulkan is making its way down the stairway. Seven interlocking triangles form a serrated line that resembles the serpent’s tail. • El Castillo was not the first temple to occupy the site. Built sometime between 1000 and 1200 A.D., it was constructed on the foundation of previous temples. Ar-chaeological digs in the 1930s uncovered another staircase under the north side of the pyramid, and continuing the dig, found another temple buried below. • Near the pyramid is a large ball court, 554 feet (168 meters) long and 231 feet (70 meters) wide. It was here that Mayan men played pok ta pok, a game in which players hit or threw a 12-lb. (5.4-kg) rubber ball through a hoop mounted high on the wall, 23 feet (7 meters) above the ground. Ar-chaeologists believe the losers were put to death. •Nearly everyone has heard the Mayan prophecy of the end of the world occurring in December of 2012. The prediction is that the great warrior serpent Kukulkan will rise from the ground under the ball court and end the world on the 22nd of the month. • Very large gatherings were held at the Temple of the Warriors, an enormous complex with a large stepped pyramid, four platforms, and 200 carved columns. Thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the area, including gold, carved jade, pottery, obsidian, rubber, flint, and human skeletons. • It’s evident that human sacrifices were part of the culture. Chichen Itza, which

translates “mouth of the well,” was settled around two wells, one a sacred place, and the other for everyday use. Large quanti-ties of bones and ceremonial objects have been recovered from the sacred well during excavation. • About 1.2 million tourists visit Chichen Itza every year. Until 2006, visitors were allowed to walk through the buildings’ ru-ins and climb the pyramids. However, after a woman fell to her death from El Castillo that year, people are no longer permitted on the structures.

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Page 6: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 6 Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties

HARVEY’S AUTO SERVICE, INC.We’re Your Factory-Authorized Dealer Alternative

Mention you saw our ad in Tidbits and get 10% off

labor cost.

Shoreline: (206) 368-0980Redmond: (425) 881-1658

1. Name the only stadium that is currently home to an NFL team and a major-league baseball team.

2. Who played more games with one team: Brooks Robinson or Robin Yount?

3. Name the first team in college football history to be voted a unanimous No. 1 in both the media and coaches polls.

4. When was the last time the Hawks were in the NBA Finals?

5. Name the last time an NHL team won the Stanley Cup while having no player reach the 60-point mark during the regular season.

6. What was the last vehicle other than a Toyota to win a NASCAR Truck series race at Daytona International Speedway?

7. Name the last married woman to win a singles title at Wimbledon.

Page 7: Vol. 1 Issue 15

Page 7For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674(206) 902-7557

PICKS OF THE WEEK“Pitch Perfect” (PG-13) -- The Bellas are an all-vocal university ensemble looking to reinvent themselves after an embarrassing performance. Beca (Ana Kendrick) is an incoming college freshman who’s already too cool for school, but somehow gets co-erced into joining this singing group. Of course, the gaggle of misfits drastically improve their singing and take on the obnoxious rival singers, the Treble Makers.It’s more tolerable than an episode of “Glee.” The musical performances are impressive, even for those who aren’t into such things. Kendrick brings vocal talent and star power to the musical numbers. Self-referential humor and some promising young comic-relief actors push this one over the line from tolerable to even enjoyable.

“Total Recall” (PG-13) -- In the grimy, blue-tinted fu-ture, you can get sweet memories implanted in your brain. Instead of taking a vacation or seeking ther-apy, Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) chooses to have memories of another life as a super-spy zapped into his brain. During the process, something goes awry and Quaid is suddenly hunted by the authorities and finds himself in the role of revolutionary hero.This movie hardly has the right to exist in the same universe as the 1990 film of the same name, star-ring good ol’ Arnold Schwarzenegger, so I’ll hold back on comparing the two. Don’t expect mind-bending science-fiction or over-the-top humor. This is boilerplate futuristic blockbuster thriller. The action sequences are nice, but your recall of the film will intertwine with the boring bits from movies like “Minority Report,” forming one blu-ish futuristic memory mush.

“Trouble With the Curve” (PG-13) -- Clint Eastwood snarls and grumps his way through this drama about a reluctant old codger reconnecting with his daughter through the business of baseball. Gus (Eastwood) is a renowned talent scout for major-league baseball, but it seems his age is catching up to him. His daughter (Amy Adams) takes a leave from her big-shot law firm to accompany him on one last season of high-pressure drafts. It’s a slow, predictable drama that isn’t exactly a stretch for ol’ Clint.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” (PG) -- Greg is the scrawny young man at the center of the popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series. This misadven-ture has Greg pretending to have a summer job. The wimpy kid is getting bigger, and his lies become less endearing with every inch he grows. He’s outgrow-ing the precocious kid role and now faces the less appealing side of annoying adolescence. It’s not as sinister as all that -- everybody learns their lesson and bonds by the end -- but the charm of the story isn’t enough to reach folks who aren’t already fans.

TV RELEASES“Army Wives: Season Six -- Part Two”

“Mankind: The Story of All of Us”“Shameless: The Complete Second Season”

“Californication: The Fifth Season”“Here’s Lucy Season 6”

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is a philog-raphist?

2. TELEVISION: Which actor played the character of “Fonzie” on “Happy Days”?

3. LITERATURE: Who wrote the children’s book “Matilda”?

4. GEOGRAPHY: What tiny principality lies between Spain and France?

5. MYTHOLOGY: In Greek mythology, what was the Hydra?

6. FOOD & DRINK: What is muesli?

7. ART: Where is the Uffizi museum?

8. MEASUREMENTS: What does a kelvin measure?

9. MOVIES: What spell is used to disarm opponents in the “Harry Potter” movies?

10. ANATOMY: Where is the latissimus dorsi muscle located on the human body?

The first week of December has been a significant one over the years. Take a look at some of the events that have impacted history. • December 2, 1939 marked the opening day of New York City’s La Guardia Airport. Prior to being converted to an airfield, the land was the site of the Gala Amusement Park, owned by the Steinway piano family. The airport’s first title was the Glenn H. Curtiss airport, named for an early aviation pioneer, and didn’t become La Guardia until 1953, when the name was changed to honor former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guar-dia. The site is 680 acres and sits on the shores of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay in Queens. It em-ploys about 8,000 and serviced about 25 million travelers last year. • Cape Town, outh Africa’s Groote Schuur Hospi-tal was the site of a groundbreaking procedure on December 3, 1967. It was here that Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant. Dr. Barnard had experimented for many years with animal heart transplants. The 45-year-old surgeon, assisted by his heart surgeon brother Marius and a team of 30 people, transplanted the heart of a 25-year-old woman into Louis Washkansky over a nine-hour period. Washkansky perished 18 days later, not from the malfunction of the heart, but rather from pneumo-nia brought on by reduced immunity. The recipi-ent of a heart in Barnard’s second transplant, just one month later, survived for 19 months. • The world’s first Burger King opened in Mi-ami, Florida on December 4, 1954. However, the “King” wasn’t their trademark figure until the following year, and the Whopper sandwich wasn’t introduced until 1957. Today, more than 11 million people dine at the 12,400 Burger Kings located in 73 countries around the world. • December 5 is International Ninja Day, a time set aside to celebrate martial arts skills. This is just the tenth year it has been recognized, as the holiday was created in 2003 in conjunction with the December 5th opening date of Tom Cruise’s film The Last Samurai, which featured a battle

scene between samurai and ninja. Those observ-ing the holiday are encouraged to dress like ninjas. • Europeans and Scandinavians celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6, and in many coun-tries, it is the primary occasion for gift-giving during the holiday season. It commemorates the feast day of this 4th-century Greek Bishop of Myra who had a reputation of giving gifts in se-cret, tucking sweets and coins in shoes and boots left on the front doorstep. The Bishop was the inspiration for the North Americans’ Santa Claus and the British Father Christmas. • More than 2,300 Americans were killed when Japanese planes attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the “date which will live in infamy.” Twelve ships sank or were beached, including the U.S.S. Oklahoma, which capsized, and the U.S.S. Arizona, which was completely destroyed with a death toll of 1,177. In addition, more than 160 aircraft were demolished, with another 150 damaged. Six Japa-nese aircraft carriers launched 353 fighters, bomb-ers, and torpedo planes in an attack that began at 7:48 AM and ended 90 minutes later. The United States entered World War II on December 8, when Congress declared war against Japan. Soon after-ward, Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the U.S.

DECEMBER HISTORY

Page 8: Vol. 1 Issue 15

1. Someone who collects autographs2. Henry Winkler3. Roald Dahl4. Andorra5. A many-headed monster whose heads could grow back if they were cut off6. Breakfast cereal with fruit and nuts7. Florence, Italy8. Temperature9. “Expelliarmus!”10. Back

Page 8 Tidbits® of Dallas CountyTidbits® of Sno-King Counties

1. The Oakland Coliseum (A’s and Raiders).2. Robinson played 2,896 games with the Orioles; Yount played 2,856 games with the Brewers.3. Southern Cal, in 1972.4. In 1961, the Hawks (then in St. Louis) lost to Boston in five games.5. The New Jersey Devils in 2003.6. Mark Martin drove a Ford to victory at Daytona in 2006.7. Chris Evert Lloyd, in 1981.

© 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

• Need a quick batch of cookies? Keep a box mix of cake on hand. Instead of the listed ingredients, add two eggs and a half-cup of oil to the mix. Mix and shape, then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 min-utes. They are really good, and you can get pretty creative.

• Inexpensive gift idea: cute holiday cof-fee mug with a bar of chocolate, a pack-et of hot cocoa or instant coffee, a pep-permint stick and a decorative holiday pick or spray. Place inside a gallon-size zipper-top bag, tie with a ribbon, then trim off the zipper-top, leaving just the plastic. Looks nice.

• Instead of going out and buying extra items to have on hand for guests, just borrow from your neighbors. Extra towels, place settings, silverware, kitchen appli-ances: It’s a pretty good bet that some-one on your street has it for you to bor-row. If you don’t know your neighbors well enough to ask, maybe you should start planning a get-to-know-you party right now.

• Inexpensive gift idea: On the front of an empty photo album or scrapbook, print out and arrange color photos of your re-cipient in a collage. Glue the photos to the front of the album and cover with a decoupage glaze, like Mod Podge. Let dry and glaze again. You’ve just made a one-of-a-kind gift!

• “When holiday cookie time comes, I keep a plastic pitcher of hot water in the sink. I toss cookie cutters into it when I am done with them, so the corners are soak-ing. They really seem to only need a rinse and a quick brush-off afterward. Mine don’t get caked up with dough.” -- Jill C., via email

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at [email protected].

If your plan for the New Year involves getting ready to buy a home, you’ll need to make sure all your plans don’t fall apart at the last minute with a mort-gage application that gets turned down. Go Banking Rates has compiled a list of 10 reasons that mort-gages get rejected. 1. Too many jobs: If you’ve recently changed jobs or fields, have been unemployed or haven’t worked consistently in the past two years, your employment history could be a problem. Some lenders insist that you’ve kept the same job, unless you were promoted.2. Child support and alimony: If you don’t disclose that you make these kind of payments, the lender can find out just by calling the courthouse. These pay-ments are considered debts and must be reported on your application.3. New applications for credit: If you apply for new credit between the time you fill out a mortgage ap-plication and are approved for the mortgage, you’ll

likely have problems.4. Closing old credit accounts: Your credit utilization ratios and availability changes the minute you close an account. That skews the numbers lenders look at in deciding whether to give you a loan. Don’t touch old accounts.5. Borrowing money for the down payment: If mon-ey has been given to you, don’t try to claim that you saved it. The lender will find out, and the loan will likely be denied.6. Late dues by condo tenants: If you’re trying to buy a condo, the Federal Housing Administration insists that not more than 15 percent of the tenants be more than 60 days late in paying dues.7. The loan is too small: If you’re seeking a loan of $50,000 or less, you might be denied a mortgage. Making a small loan is not worth it to a lender.8. Paying an old debt: If you had a debt go to col-lections long ago, and it rolled off your credit report because of the passing of time, paying that debt now will reactivate it. Your lender will see it as recent negative activity.9. Differing FICO scores: If you send away for your FICO score, it’s not likely that the lender will get the same number from its sources.10. Secondary market: If your loan is to be sold on the secondary market, the qualification standards will be stricter.For more information, go online to GoBankingRates.com.

WHY YOUR MORTGAGE MIGHT BE DENIED

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