Volume 2 Week 7

LAD Publications LLC For Ad Rates call: (281) 907-8760 [email protected]

February 16th, 2011 The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

OVER 4 MILLION

Readers WeeklyNationwide! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2007

FREE

of The Woodlands/West SpringVol. 2 Week 7

Visit Us On the Web @HTTP://WWW.TIDBITSWOODLANDS.COM

To Get Your

FREEONLINE COPY

of the most current editionof

of The Woodlands/West Spring

Advertisers Call Lisa @ 281-907-8760

TIDBITS® LOOKS AT THE INGENUITY OFINVENTORSby Kathy Wolfe

We all know about Edison and Alexander Gra-ham Bell, but what about some of the more un-familiar people whose resourcefulness result-ed in some pretty clever devices? This week, Tidbits looks at a just a few of those folks.

• A Canadian inventor, Harry Wasylyk,hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is respon-sible for the invention of the disposable green polyethylene garbage bag. He started his oper-ation in his kitchen in 1950, intending them for commercial use only, rather than for ordinary consumers. His first customer was the Winni-peg General Hospital. He teamed up with an employeeofanOntarioUnionCarbideplant,Larry Hanson, and the pair sold their inven-tiontoUnionCarbide,whomarketedthemforhome use under the name “Glad.”

• ThomasJeffersonworemanyhatsoverthe course of his lifetime — lawyer, statesman, architect, agronomist, linguist, naturalist. This third President of the United States also penned the Declaration of Independence. In addition to his many political activities, Jefferson wasalso the inventor of the swivel chair, a plow, a portable copying press, a macaroni-making machine, and mechanical dumbwaiters that enabled his servants to send wine bottles from the cellar to the dining room at Monticello. turn the page for more!

The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

OVER 4 MILLION

Readers WeeklyNationwide!

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2007FREE

BREATHE HEALTHY!DUCT CLEANING WITH EASCO!

ARE YOU HEATING YOUR ATTIC?ATTIC INSULATION WITH EASCO SAVES YOU $$$!

INVENTORS (continued):

• Earle Dickson was a cotton buyer working forJohnson&Johnsonin1921whenhiswife’skitchenmishaps inspired an invention. His bride was fre-quently cutting her fingers while preparing meals, and he was patching up her injuries with gauze and adhesive tape. Dickson developed a compact bandage of small pieces of gauze and surgical tape that could be easily applied, and pitched his idea to plant management. A position as company vice president came along as the years went by, as well as a place on the board of directors. When Dickson died in 1961, Johnson & Johnson’s sales of Band-Aids topped $30 million a year.

•AsaMinnesotamanufacturingplantworkerdur-ing theWorldWar I era, Charles Strite partook ofhis meals in the plant cafeteria. After being served burned toast countless times, he devised a machine thatwouldturnofftheheatandpopupthebreadwhen the toast was done. Although General Electric had already marketed a toaster in 1909, their model only toasted one side at a time and had to be manu-allyturnedoff.Striteaddedspringsandatimertohis appliance and patented his “Toastmaster.” His later models added a lightness and darkness lever. •WhileSwisschemistandtextileengineerJacquesBrandenberger was seated in a restaurant in the early 1900s, a glass of wine was spilled on the table-cloth. As the chemist watched the waiter replace the cloth, an idea occurred to him — a transparent, protective film that would make cloth waterproof. After many experiments, he came up with what we know today as cellophane. The first company to use cellophaneintheUnitedStateswastheWhitman’scandy company, which wrapped its fine chocolates inthefilm.Brandenberger’spatentrightswerelatersoldtotheDupontcompany.In1912,healsobeganmanufacturing a clear, thin film used in making gas masks.

Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring

¥ On Feb. 25, 1873, Enrico Caruso, the greatest tenor who ever lived, is born. After making New York’s Met-ropolitan Opera his home base in 1904, Caruso record-ed scores of arias of three- and four-minutes in length -- the longest duration that could fit on a 78 rpm record.

¥ On Feb. 26, 1919, more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon is established as a national park. The Grand Canyon is the product of millions of years of ex-cavation by the mighty Colorado River. The chasm is exceptionally deep -- dropping more than a mile into the earth -- and is 15 miles across at its widest point.

¥ On Feb. 21, 1927, humorist Erma Bombeck is born in Dayton, Ohio. Her first book, “At Wit’s End” (1967), comprised a collection of her columns. Among her many other popular books were “The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank” (1976) and “If Life Is a Bowl Of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” (1978).

¥ On Feb. 27, 1934, auto-safety advocate and activist Ralph Nader is born in Winsted, Conn. Nader’s 1965 book “Unsafe at Any Speed” criticized the auto industry for poor safety standards, and ultimately led to various reforms.

¥ On Feb. 23, 1958, five-time Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina is kidnapped in Cuba by a group of Fidel Castro’s rebels. He was released un-harmed several hours after the Cuba Grand Prix.

¥ On Feb. 24, 1969, after a North Vietnamese mortar shell rocks their Douglas AC-47 gunship, Airman First Class John L. Levitow throws himself on an activated flare and tosses it out of the aircraft just before it ignites. For saving his fellow crewmembers and the gunship, Airman Levitow was awarded the Medal of Honor.

¥ On Feb. 22, 1990, the Best New Artist Grammy is awarded to Milli Vanilli. Months later, German record-producer Frank Farian revealed that he had put the names and faces of the talentless Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan on the dance records he was creating using real musicians. Four days later, Milli Vanilli’s Grammy award was withdrawn.


LAD Publications LLC Call (281) 907-8760

LisaDempseyLaverneJohnsonOwner/Publisher Owner/[email protected] [email protected]

tidbitswoodlands.comP.O.Box132811TheWoodlands,TX77393

For Advertising Call (281) 907-8760

See page 6 for answers!

answer on page 5!

Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring INVENTORS (continued):

•JosephineCochrandidn’tinventthemechanicaldish-washer because she was tired of washing dishes. This socialitepolitician’swifewasjusttiredofherhiredhelpchippingandbreakingherdishes!In1886,sheinventedtheCochranDishwasher,andthecontraptionmadeitsdebut at the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago,winning the fair’s highest award. Businesseswere theonly ones who seemed interested, and a smaller home modeldidn’tcomeoutuntil1914.Shefoundedacom-pany for her dishwasher, one which eventually became Kitchen Aid.

• Chicago’s1893Exhibitionwasalsothesiteforthe unveiling of mechanical engineerWhitcomb Jud-son’s invention,the“ClaspLocker,”adevicecreditedasthe first zipper. Actually, sewing machine inventor Elias Howehadalreadypatentedan“AutomaticContinuousClothingClosure”in1851,buthissewingmachinesuc-cesskepthim toobusy tomarkethis fastener. Judsonmarketed his with the opening of the Universal Fastener Company,givinghimrecognitionastheinventor.How-ever, his original zipper bore little resemblance to those oftoday.OneofJudson’semployees,GideonSundback,actually developed a design with interlocking teeth, and received a patent first for his “Hookless Fastener,” then another for the improved “Separable Fastener.” Whit-comb Judson was no stranger to the world of inven-tions, having been awarded 30 patents throughout his career, including14patentsforastreetrailwaysystemthat ran on compressed air.

• AlthoughSarahBoonewasn’tthefirsttoinventan ironing board, she is credited with a major improve-ment to thedesign. PatentNo. 473,653was issued tothisformerslaveinAprilof1892,makingheroneofthefirst, if not the first African-American woman to receive a patent. An “ironing table” patent had been awarded in 1858,butBoone’sfeaturedanarrowerdesign,enablinguserstoeffectivelyironsleevesandbodiesofgarments.

Quality lawn service you can be proud of.

Affordable Lawn

Maintenance

PLEASE CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

Kevin (832)381-0140

We also o�er...

Mulching Top Soil Bedding Plants Rock Work Tree Removal Pressure Washing Window Cleaning Gutter/Roof Cleaning Deck Staining/Painting Trash Hauling

Lawn ServiceMowing BlowingEdging Raking Leaves

Avarage Yard - $25.00 front or $35.00 front & backLarge Yard - $35.00 front or $45.00 front & back

*Prices based on Ragularly Scheduled Maintenance. First time work price varies.


1. Against which teams did brothers Bob and Ken Forsch throw their no-hitters in 1978 and 1979, respectively.2. In 2010, Garrett Jones became the sixth Pittsburgh Pirate to homer twice on Opening Day. Name three

of the first five to do it.3. How many consecutive NFL seasons did LaDainian Tomlinson rush for at least 10 touchdowns? 4. Name the last Ivy League men’s basketball team before Cornell in 2010 to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.5. Who were the only teammates to each top 100 points during the 2009-10 NHL season?6. When was the last time before 2010 that Spain’s men’s soccer team reached the semifinals of the World Cup?7. How many different times did Sugar Ray Robinson hold the world middleweight boxing title?

¥ Keep maternity jackets to wear over that baby carrier so that Mom and baby stay snuggly warm -- together.

¥ “The soles of my work boots got worn down. I had paid a lot of money for the boots, and they are really well-made, so I didn’t want to part with them. I took them to a shoe-repair place, and the owner said he could resole them for a really great price. They are like brand-new now. Maybe it’s just me, but I had never thought of having a new sole put on a shoe. I’m happy I learned about it.” -- R.L. in Tennessee

¥ “This is a fun thing to do for kids on St. Patrick’s Day: Turn milk, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes or any food green with a little nontoxic food dye. It’s really fun,

and the reactions you get are so cute!” -- C.F. in California

¥ Periodically run your clothes washer through a load on hot with 3 cups of vinegar added to the water. Do not add any clothes. Use a washcloth or old towel dipped in the water to scrub the outside of the machine. Let the washer cycle through, and leave it open afterward to air-dry. This will clean out any gunk in the machine and help it to work better.

¥ “We save the wide rubber bands that come on vegetables and use them on our cups. We write a name on the band, and put it around the base of our cup for the day. This way, no one will come along and think it’s just a dirty cup that wasn’t put away. We have cut way down on cups in the dishwasher this way.” -- J.J. in Florida

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].

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

INVENTORS (continued):

• The Frisbie Baking Company opened inBridgeport,Connecticut, in1871,andearneda good living selling pies to many of the New England colleges, including Yale. Beginning in the1940s,Yalestudentsdiscoveredthattoss-ing the empty pie tin made for great fun, and students turned it into a game. Meanwhile, out inCalifornia,anL.A.buildinginspector,WalterFrederick Morrison, who was quite interested in flying saucers, invented a plastic flying disc in1948,andnameditthePlutoPlatter.WhenWham-O toy executives spotted Yale students engaged in pie-pan tossing, they convinced Morrison to sell them his rights. Wham-O re-named the disc the Frisbee in honor of the pie company, although it altered the spelling slightly. Today, the games of Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf draw thousands of players a year as the plastic saucer continues to rise in popu-larity. Incidentally, William Morrison’s familywas no stranger to inventing — his father had invented the automotive sealed-beam head-light.

• A different kind of disc was developed in1971 by Alan Shugart, an engineer at IBM.Shugart introduced the first “memory disc,” betterknownasthefloppydisc,an8-inchflex-ible plastic device coated with magnetic iron oxide, capable of storing computer data. This first floppy disc could hold 100 KBs of data. Shugart spent his off-hours founding a five-star restaurant in Monterey, California, andattempting to get his dog Ernest on the bal-lot forCongressman,aventurehechronicledin his book “Ernest Goes to Washington (Well, Not Exactly).”

Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring

It’s bad enough that we can walk through a mall or air-port, pass someone carrying a tiny scanner and have our credit-card information stolen. Now we learn that our laptops aren’t always secure either.First, two definitions:Sidejacking -- snagging data out of the air as it travels from one point to another on a wireless connection. Firesheep -- the program developed to grab data out of thin air in sidejacking. Hackers can follow you around the Internet and see what you see, see what you type in, and in the worst insult, can imitate you.The easiest place for this to happen is at an unsecured Wireless Internet (WiFi) location, such as a cafe that asks users to sign in with the same password. Your data flows across the air, and with the click of the mouse, a hacker can grab your user credentials and impersonate you on-line. If you tend to open your social networking sites and leave them open, you’re inviting trouble. It doesn’t take much for a hacker to stroll through your friends’ pages and pretend to be you.FoxBusiness.com recommends a few ways to stay safe:

¥ Don’t e-mail personal data, period. Your Social Security number, if typed in on a form, can be grabbed. Your cred-it-card information, if typed into e-mail, can be grabbed. ¥ Use an e-mail website that encrypts data, such as Gmail. Look for a padlock icon on the browser’s address bar.¥ Keep the security updates current on all your gear.¥ Beware the websites you visit. The usual virus protec-tion warnings apply, of course, but especially in a Wi-Fi environment. Take one Trojan horse, add in a sidejack and before you finish your latte, someone’s got your bank account number in his greedy hands.¥ Invest in a wireless card for some, but not complete, safety.Oddly enough, your biggest danger might be from hack-ers around the world rather than someone near you.Idea: Keep a netbook computer to use when you’re out. Use it for casual e-mails and checking websites other than your social networking sites. Don’t go anywhere you need to put in a password or enter any personal data.Investigate a program called BlackSheep, which can ex-pose uses of Firesheep around you. Or look for HTTPS Everywhere to block a hacker from monitoring your web use.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally an-swer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].

Don’t Get Sidejacked

1 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Where did Charles Lindbergh start his famous solo flight across the At-lantic Ocean?2. LANGUAGE: How many letters are in the English alphabet?3. HISTORY: When did Armistice Day become Vet-erans Day?4. TELEVISION: For which city’s police department did Chief Robert Ironside work?5. PHILOSOPHY: Which philosopher was impris-oned for his pacifism in 1918?6. MYTHOLOGY: What was the name of Pecos Bill’s horse?7. MOVIES: What were the first names of the movie star Gish sisters?8. BIBLE: In the Old Testament, where did Jacob’s Ladder lead?9. MUSIC: Who wrote the opera “Der Ring des Ni-belungen”?10. ETIQUETTE: What type of gift is traditional for a 20th wedding anniversary?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Time is on your side in the early part of the week. But anything left undone by midweek will need to be put into rush mode. The weekend offers choices for you and someone special.TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Finally getting credit for a contribution is nice for all you idea-generating Ferdinands and Fernandas. But don’t sit on your laurels under the cork tree. Use it as a first step to a bigger opportunity.GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Despite the progress made, a hint of doubt might set in. That’s OK. You need to stop and consider not only what you’re doing but also how you are doing. Make adjustments where needed.CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The dreamer is dominant in the Moon Child’s aspect, but a dollop of hardheaded practicality is coming up fast and jockey-ing for space. The challenge is to make room for both modes.LEO (July 23 to August 22) It’s a good week for Leos and Leonas to start assessing what they’ve done and what they plan to do. Moving to a new environment -- home or job-related -- is a possibility for some Cats.VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) The week calls for Virgos to make tough decisions, but in a way that leaves the door open for changes. Ask for advice from someone who has been in the position you’re in now.LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Disappoint-ments are never easy to take, but you have the ability to learn from them and go on to success. Meanwhile, continue to build up your contacts. You’ll need them soon. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Things might still be going much too slowly to suit you. But you need the time to make sure they’re going in the right direction. It’s easier to make a course correction now rather than later.SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Showing some temperament at the way things are go-ing is one way of getting your point across. Just don’t overdo it, or you risk turning away more-moderate supporters.CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Things could change more quickly this week than you like. But don’t fret; you’ll most likely find that you’re up to the challenges. The weekend offers much-needed relaxation.AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Big chal-lenge coming up? Uncross those fingers and believe that you’re going to do well. And keep in mind that so many people have faith in your ability to succeed.PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Testing the waters is a good way of learning about an opportunity before plunging right in. Ask more questions and be alert to any attempts to avoid giving complete answers.BORN THIS WEEK: You have a gift for making people -- and animals, too -- feel special and loved.


OVERCOMINGTHEODDS:THOMAS EDISON

Thomas Edison is hailed as “the wizard of Menlo Park” and “the greatest inventor who ever lived.” But to reach that success, he encountered many obstacles that threatened to derail him. Take a look at how this wizard overcame them.

• Theyoungestofsevenchildren,ThomasEdisondidn’tlearntotalkuntilhewasnearlyfouryearsold.Dif-ficulty with words and speech, along with an inability to focus, followed him into the schoolroom. Today he most probably would have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After only three months in the local one-room schoolhouse, the teacher informed Edison’s parents that Tom’s brains were“ad-dled”or“scrambled.”And so came the endof Edison’sformal education. His mother withdrew him and began to educate him at home.

• Edison’s father encouraged the young boy to readgreat classic literature and rewarded him with a dime for each one he read. Edison had a great love for Shake-speare and even considered becoming an actor for a time because of it. When Edison’s interest in the sci-encesadvancedbeyondhisparents’abilities,theyhireda tutor for him.

•Aboutofscarletfeveranduntreatedchronicearin-fections led to severe hearing loss for the young Edison. Hebecamecompletelydeaf inhis left ear and lost80percent of the hearing in his right.

• As a teenager, an event occurred that changed thecourse of his life. As he boarded a train, the stationmas-ter’syoungsonwalkedontothetracksinfrontofanon-coming train. A quick-thinking Edison grabbed the boy and saved his life. As a reward, the stationmaster helped Edison become skilled in the use of the telegraph and Morse code. A job with Western Union followed, work-ing12hoursaday,sixdaysaweek.Inhisfreetime,hewas experimenting with various inventions, and six months later, received his first patent for his electric vote-recording machine.

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I have to admit, I have not taken my two cats to the veterinarian as often as I should. Last year, I skipped their annual shots and just kept them inside, and they didn’t get annual physicals. The visits just cost too much. Fortunately, neither of them got sick. I’m on a fixed income, so I need to plan every expense. Please don’t judge me too harshly -- I love my cats! -- Caring Mama in Wheeling, W.Va.

DEAR CARING MAMA: It might surprise you to know that many of my readers share your dilemma. They’re worried about the cost of health care for their pets -- even routine shots and checkups -- and they fret about what to do if their pet gets sick or injured. And as pet owners’ incomes have declined in recent years, so have the number of visits.In fact, Bayer Animal Health recently compiled a Veterinary Care Usage Study that found some interesting results:¥ 53 percent of pet owners think costs are usually much higher than expected.¥ 63 percent of dog owners and 68 percent of cat owners question the need for regular veterinary care.

¥ 33 percent of dog owners and 41 percent of cat owners would not take their pet to the vet if vaccines were not needed.¥ One-third of cats have not been to the veterinarian in the past year.¥ 56 percent of veterinarians said they were getting fewer visits from pet owners in 2009 and 2010.It all adds up to riskier times for pets. So, what can a financially strapped pet owner do? Start by talking to your vet about financial difficulties -- many will try to work out a pricing structure that fits your ability to pay. Look for low-cost pet health and vaccination clinics (check www.PawsCorner.com for regular updates on 2011 rabies clinics around the United States). Check with senior and low-income assistance centers in your city or town for pet care assistance programs.

Don’t Sweat the VetBy Sam Mazzotta

Looking for more pet advice and information? Check out pawscorner.com online! Send your pet questions and tips to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Cor-ner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

EDISON (continued):

• AfterbeingfiredbyWesternUnionfordoingtoo much moonlighting, Edison had the time to concentrate on his experiments, and while in his mid-20s,cameupwithastock ticker forwhichhereceived$40,000whenhesolditsrightstoaprivate corporation. By age 30, he had invented the first phonograph.

•It’samisconceptionthatEdisoninventedthelight bulb. The light bulb had been around for many years; what Edison did was improve on the original with the first incandescent electric light, a more reliable, longer-lasting source of light with a carbonized filament suitable for home use.

• As Edison’s wealth increased, he had the re-sources to have an operation that very likely could have dramatically improved his hearing. He refused to do it, afraid that he “would have difficulty re-learning how to channel his think-ing in an ever more noisy world.” His one regret about his hearing was that he could not hear the sounds of singing birds, creatures that he loved so much. He collected more than 5,000 feath-ered friends in a private aviary.

•Overthecourseofhiscareer,Edisonwaspat-enting an item every two weeks, and amassed 1,093 patents for a variety of inventions, includ-ing the dictaphone, mimeograph and motion picture camera. He founded 14 companies, in-cluding General Electric, still one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.

• Edison’s effortswerenotwithout failures, al-though he refused to view them as such. After 1,000 unsuccessful tries at the incandescent bulb,hesaid,“Ididn’tfail1,000times.Thelightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

1. Bob, with St. Louis, no-hit the Phillies in 1978; Ken (Houston) no-hit Atlanta in 1979.2. Dale Long (1956), Richie Hebner (1974), Willie Stargell (1975), Andy Van Slyke (1990) and Xavier Nady (2008).3. Nine (2001-09).4. Princeton beat UNLV in 1998.5. Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin (109 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (101 points).6. It was 1950.7. Five different times between 1951 and 1960.

1. Long Island, N.Y.2. 263. 1954 4. San Francisco

5. Bertrand Russell6. Widow-Maker7. Dorothy and Lillian 8. To heaven9. Richard Wagner 10. China


Call Today To Reserve this Premium Banner Position!AND FOR ALL OUR AFFORDABLE RATES, CALL:

Lisa or LaVerne at 281-907-8760

Volume 2 Week 7

Documents

Transcript of Volume 2 Week 7