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March 13, 2012 The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

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The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

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by Blue Sullivan There are certain records that you may be familiar with. The fastest 100-meter dash, the top speed for a land vehicle and the first breaking of the sound barrier are just three common examples. We may not all know who holds these records, but at least we know these records are out there. Then, of course, there are other records that sit happily outside of the norm. Not only will almost no one know the names of these “famous” record holders, very few people will even be aware that these records exist. Here are a few examples of unusual bests from around the globe.

• Did you know that Chris Elliott and Tyson Turk of Bedford, Texas, hold the world record for the most body piercings in one session? Three thousand, one hundred piercings were performed in just over six hours, topping the previous best of 1,015 by a couple in the United Kingdom. (It seems some people aren’t happy with a nice pair of earrings anymore.)

• The record for “Most People Inside of a Bubble” is held by Fan and Deni Yang. The two wowed an audience with their outlandish talent for creating bubbles. As part of this year’s BubbleFest in Santa Ana, California, at the city’s Discovery Science Center, they created a soap bubble so large that they were

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Vol 1 Issue 9of Elmore County

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A sauce made with wine and fresh herbs is a classic topping for a perfectly cooked steak.

1 pound flank steak1/2 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper1 tablespoon oil2 teaspoon fresh thyme1 cup wine1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Season steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high.2. Add steak; cook 12 to 14 minutes for medium-rare (145 F), turning over once. Transfer to cutting board. To skillet, add fresh thyme and wine.3. Cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat; whisk in heavy cream and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Serve over steak. Serves 4.

For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefind-er/.

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

Steak with Herb Sauce

Make a Portable Playmat for Preschoolers

I’ll bet your kids easily can map out the set-ting of their favorite TV series. They probably know exactly where the main characters live -- that they turn left to get to the water foun-tain and right to get to the stables. But how well do they know their own neighborhood?Here’s a playful way to become familiar with where they live in relationship to all the places that regularly touch their lives. It’s a portable town playmat made with an inexpensive window shade. Designed to mimic where you live, it’s personalized and perfect for indoor fun.Once it’s made, kids can spill out a basket of toys and bring their town to life. If you listen in, you might hear that a tiger is prowling the street right next to the supermarket! Wait until he finds himself eye-to-eye with the T-rex stomping down the steps of the library. And that bright-green cowboy. Look at him am-bling out of the coffee shop. Wonder which direction he’ll run?

To get started, you’ll need: --Plain white roll-down window shade from a discount store--Pencil and permanent nontoxic markers--Ruler--Acrylic paints and sponges for dabbing

Here’s the fun:First, take a walk with your young kids. Stroll down your street. Turn in various directions, discussing the outing as you go. Your con-versation might go like this: “Let’s remember how close the post office is to the cleaners. Oh, look, the library is two whole blocks up from here. The bakery is across the street.” It’s a chance to teach that places aren’t just “out there.” They can be located.When you return, roll out the shade on the floor and sketch your community using a ruler and pencil, beginning with your home. Then, with a ruler, plot out important places in rela-tionship to your dwelling. Color and decorate streets, buildings and other details with mark-ers. Don’t forget lakes, ponds or parks. Dip a small sponge lightly onto some acrylic paint and dab in bright colors for the water, flowers and trees. Let dry, gather small toys and let your “Our Town” play begin.To store, roll up the painted shade and set upright in a closet for another day.Extra idea: Add familiar faces to the toy pieces. Ask friends, teachers and shopkeepers if they will let you take close-up photos. Print on heavy paper, cut out the individuals, leav-ing an extra half-inch at the bottom to bend back and glue to the inside of a plastic bottle cap so they appear to be standing up. Now your kids will have human “players” in their drama ***

OFF THE RECORD (continued)able to fit 118 people inside it, setting the current world record. The BubbleFest, now in its 16th year, celebrates the science and math principles of bubbles.

• For Takuo Toda, chairman of the Japan Origami Airplane Association, breaking the “Longest Paper Airplane Flight” record with his time of 27.9 seconds was the culmination of an 11-year scientific effort. In April of 2009, Toda finally reached his goal when he turned a sheet of light sugarcane into a 10-cm craft that stayed aloft for almost 30 seconds. Toda’s model bore a striking resemblance to a NASA space shuttle that he recalled watching three decades before, yet Toda claims that his design actually preceded NASA’s by three or four years. In 1980, he began lobbying for a proposal to launch paper darts from the International Space Station, and in 2008, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced a three-year, 90 million yen (over 1.1 million U.S. dollars) study of that very thing. Though it may sound frivolous on its surface, the research could yield valuable information on how future spacecraft may be lighter and more aerodynamic. The next time your co-worker teases you for making paper airplanes, tell him you’re doing it for science!

• American Ashrita Furman presently holds 113 places of distinction within the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Nicknamed “Mr. Versatility,” Furman has set more than 340 records since 1979 in 35 countries on each of the world’s continents. In 2010, he sprinted his way into history with the aid of something generally reserved for the water — a pair of black and blue swim fins. He ran a mile (in fins) in 7 minutes, 56 seconds. In addition to breaking the “eight minute land swim fin mile” (a phrase that we are hoping to popularize), Furman’s accomplishment made him the current record holder for holding current records (the aforementioned 113).

• Breaking the “World’s Fastest Furniture” record, a lounge chair created by a design group from the United Kingdom was clocked at 87 miles per hour, well over the speed limit on nearly every highway in the world. Couch potatoes with a need for speed need look no further than the “Casual Lofa” (as its creators Cummfy Banana have deemed it), which

has an actual vehicle license with the British Ministry of Transportation. In addition to its plush, leopard-patterned upholstery, the “Lofa” features the same unleaded A-series engine found in the Cooper Mini, along with a steering wheel that doubles as a pizza pan, a hand-operated brake and a throttle that can be operated with the feet up or down. In addition to its performance-driving chair, the company has also built a bed on wheels called the “Street Sleeper” that can go 69 miles per hour and a zooming tub (the “Bog Standard”) that can go 71. They even offer a motorized office suite for the more business-minded racing aficionado.

• For even the least fit or scientifically inclined among us, there is one record potentially within our reach, “Most T-Shirts Worn At Once.” On May 22, 2010, Croatia’s Krunoslav Budiseli bested a former Swedish record holder by wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The feat took a little less than two hours to complete and ended with the Croatian wearing about 150 pounds (68 kg) worth of T-shirts. Budiseli said things started to become difficult around the 120th shirt, yet he somehow summoned the strength and force of will to don 125 more. Will May 22 live on forever in the annals of Croatian T-shirt achievement? Only time will tell.

• In the annals of “records least likely to exist,” the “Most Nights Spent In A Room Full of Scorpions” record would’ve been pretty close to the top, yet Kanchana Ketkaew of Thailand actually managed it. Ketkaew spent 33 days in the company of 5,320 live scorpions. The room, which was made of glass, was not much larger than a normal office room — about 10 feet wide by 12 feet long. Despite sharing cramped quarters with a swarm of unfriendly crawling roommates, Ketkaew emerged relatively unscathed, getting stung only about 13 times.

• After a day of exciting-yet-exhausting chair racing, you are bound to want a snack. How about a bite of the current record holder for “World’s Biggest Cookie,” which weighed in at 40,000 pounds? In 2003, the owners and employees of the Immaculate Baking Company converged to bake a cookie designed to satisfy even the largest of appetites. About a 100 feet in diameter, the cookie was so big that it had to be photographed from 100 feet above just to get it all on camera!

***

Early in every season, it’s easy to get car-ried away. The season has 34 more races. Even Jimmie Johnson, who left the Daytona 500 (pending appeal of NASCAR penalties) with minus 23 points, has 24 races to make the Chase.As if to prove the lunacy of drawing early conclusions, Johnson came back to finish second in the season’s second race. He had crashed after one lap at Daytona.Matt Kenseth, of course, won the 500 for the second time.In 2009, Kenseth won the 500 and followed it up a week later with a victory in Fontana, Calif. He failed to win again that season and missed the Chase for one of only two times in his career. This time the second race was at Phoenix International Raceway, and Kenseth finished 13th.Denny Hamlin took the Sprint Cup point lead by winning Phoenix’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 a week after he finished fourth in the Daytona 500.Even though it’s early yet, Hamlin was ec-static about his early momentum, especially since he is coming off a bit of a down year.“Huge momentum,” Hamlin said. “We’ve never been in this position this early in the season. We’ve always struggled. We’ve always taken our time -- five or six races in -- before we hit our stride.“He (crew chief Darian Grubb) made me a winner today.”Ah, Darian Grubb. He was Tony Stewart’s crew chief last year. In fact, Grubb was fired by the reigning champion. He moved to Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota and Hamlin. As a result, dating back to the 2011 Chase, the winning crew chief in six of the last 12 races is ... Grubb.Not that the drivers, Stewart and Hamlin, didn’t have a lot to do with it, mind you.Stewart is off to a slow start. Remember, though, that he barely made the Chase last year, and his performances didn’t take off until the Chase, when Stewart won half the 10 championship-deciding races.In short, it’s way too soon to start drawing conclusions.***

Monte Dutton covers motorsports for The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette. E-mail Monte at nascarthisweek@yahoo.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Don’t Get Carried Away ... Yet

For Advertising call (334) 202-7285 Page 3

FAMOUS LANDMARKS OF THE WORLD:UNIVERSAL THEME PARK

Nestled in the San Fernando Valley, just over the hill from Hollywood, is one of Los Angeles’ great attrac-tions, The Universal Theme Park. Though Disneyland has the more heralded history and gets a majority of the press, Universal has quietly carved out a place of magic and wonder for locals and visiting tourists since 1964. In fact, it is estimated that over 100 million men, women and children have since walked the Universal Grounds, making it one of the top tourist attractions in U.S. history.• The Universal back lot tour officially opened to the public in 1964, although informal tours were available to the public before then. The first tours were walking tours, allowing visitors to get a look at produc-tions filming on the studio lot. In addition to getting a glimpse of active sets, guests were given a look behind the scenes in the dressing rooms of their favorite Uni-versal stars. These early tours lasted about 90 minutes.• In the next decade, walking tours were replaced with more state-of-the-art transportation. A pink-and-white tram nicknamed the “GlamTram” became the preferred mode of transport. Onboard, a knowledgeable guide tells the studio’s rich history, shares bits of trivia and answers questions for curious visitors. Some lucky guests have even enjoyed face-to-face visits with the performers themselves, as on occa-sion stars have made themselves personally available to meet, sign autographs and answer questions. At the tour’s end, guests are given the opportunity to eat in the studio commissary, where star watching is just as important as whetting hardy appetites.• In 1977, Universal began adding new attrac-tions as both part of and separate from the back lot tour. These attractions included the Screen Test Comedy Theater, the Animal Actors stage, the Prop Plaza and the Western Stunt Show. Video screens were added to the tram, allowing visitors to watch productions on the lot being filmed live. • The influence of Disneyland’s theme-ride-centric design emerged in the 1970s as the park added attractions inspired by some of the most successful movies filmed there, like “The Ten Commandments,” “Jaws” and “King Kong.” In the intervening three de-cades, a host of new attractions have been added. These include the Revenge of the Mummy thrill coaster, the Special Effects Stage, Jurassic Park – The Ride, Shrek 4-D, The Simpsons Animated Virtual Coaster and King Kong 360 3-D, a ride designed by film director Peter Jackson (“King Kong,” “The Lord of The Rings” tril-ogy) that the Los Angeles Times described as “the kind of awe-inspiring theme park attraction you can’t find anywhere else.”***

Tidbits® of Elmore County Page 4

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

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 38-year-old woman who has a very stressful job. It is also very well-paying, so I don’t want to give it up. I think it might be giving me chest pain. The pain comes and goes unpredictably. Sometimes I am just sitting at my desk, and I get a squeezing sensation in my chest. At other times, I had been hurrying around.I have had several EKGs, been examined by three doctors, had a stress test and a radioactive stress test. The doctors say my heart is healthy, and the chest pain could come from stress. In speaking with people I trust, I have been told to have a heart catheterization. What do you think? -- P.A.

ANSWER: None of your three doctors told you that. Don’t you think they might know more than your friends? You have to be guided by advice given to you by those who have had experience in assessing people’s complaints. There’s no pattern to your chest pain. Heart pain, in contrast, causes chest pain when a person is physically active. That pain goes when the person rests. Your kind of pain is not suggestive of a heart disorder.Your doctors have told you that your heart is healthy. You have had EKGs, stress tests and even a radioactive stress test. Those tests would have disclosed a heart problem if you had one.Furthermore, you are only 38 years old -- not an age for heart problems to occur. You mention no family history of heart trouble at early ages.

Not All Chest Pain Comes From the Heart

1. Who holds the Los Ang1. Which hitter holds two of the top three spots for most strikeouts in a major-league season?2. Name the player who had the most hits in a modern-era season for the Braves franchise.

3. Who was the head coach of the University of Texas football team before Mack Brown took the job in 1998?4. How many times did 7-foot-7-inch center Manute Bol lead the NBA in blocked shots per game for a season?5. Who holds the New York Rangers record for most goals and points in a season?6. How many times has the 60-point mark in the regular-season standings been exceeded by a Major League Soccer team? 7. Name two of the last three WBA heavyweight boxing titleholders before Mike Tyson won the crown in 1987.

With a catheterization, a thin, pliable tube is inched from a groin blood vessel to the site where the heart arteries are found. There, dye is injected so doctors can visualize the health of heart arteries. The doctors can spot any obstructions, like cholesterol buildup, in those arteries. It’s an amazing test. However, complications can arise from any procedure that invades the body. When the detection of heart disease can be accomplished in no other way, information from a catheterization is justified. In your case, it’s not.Stress is the most likely cause of your chest pain.Coronary artery disease is the No. 1 cause of death in most of the world’s countries. The booklet on that subject explains in detail its symptoms and its treatments. To order a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 101W, 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’ve been talked into donating blood. My hangup is that I have a fitness program that I religiously adhere to. The thought of an extended rest bothers me. How long do you have to spend recuperating after donating blood? -- A.A.

ANSWER: You’re not facing an extended recuperation after donating blood. One day is enough. That sounds like too little time, but it’s sufficient. You won’t notice it.It takes a full month for your blood count to return to what it was before you donated. That slight dip in your blood count isn’t going to affect your exercise performance unless you are into marathon training.***Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2012 North America Synd., Inc.All Rights Reserved

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I signed up for a small plot in our community garden. It was a big step, going public this way. While others can grow glorious mounds of colorful flowers, my past attempts had humble results that were best relegated to pots on the porch.For the second year, the local land trust has divided up one of it properties and made small rectangles of land available at a low cost to seniors who want to garden. I was able to select my own site -- near one of the faucets and the hose.For those of us who don’t have a green thumb (as I apparently don’t), the land trust is holding a series of weekly gardening classes, designed to help us get the most out of our little plots of dirt.Different types of mulch, how to understand the three

Community Garden

numbers on the labels of fertilizer, planting seedlings versus seeds, soil pH, staying organic -- all are topics we’re learning about. This weekend I went to the community garden and located my plot. It’s weedy and flat, with cold, hard-looking soil. It was used last year, so I assume all the rocks are gone, but still, I wondered: How am I going to transform it into a space full of beautiful flowers?I made my decision while standing there looking at the weeds. I won’t grow flowers. I’m going to grow veg-etables for the two homeless shelters near me and for the food bank. This time my attempts to succeed with a garden will be different: The land trust will provide hands-on help and advice.I hope the food bank is prepared for a deluge of car-rots, beans and tomatoes.

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnre-ply@gmail.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Q: My basement stays fairly dry, but in the spring and during other really rainy periods I can see the concrete walls are wet. Is it condensation or water leaking inside? I haven’t seen any puddles of water on the floor, but it is really humid at these times. -- Bill in upstate New York

A: There’s an easy way to test whether the moisture on the basement walls is seepage (water leaking inside) or condensation. Get a few large squares of aluminum foil and tape them to random spots on the basement walls and floor. Use water-resistant tape and completely cover all four edges of the foil so that no air can get underneath it.Leave them there for a couple of days, and then carefully peel away the tape and check both sides of the foil. If the side facing the wall (the inner side) is wet, then seepage is your issue. If the outer side is wet, condensation is the problem. If both sides are wet, seepage is the most likely issue, with

Is Basement Moisture a Leak,

or Humidity?By

Samantha Mazzotta

* “I had to pick up a bunch of BBs that spilled in our garage. It was very aggravating, until I decided to get out my vacuum. I put a very thin sock (didn’t have any panty hose) on the end and tucked it into the hose. I secured it with a zip tie. I was able to suck up most of the BBs, and they went right back in the container.” -- E.L. in North Carolina

* If you make your own broth, you can freeze cubes in easy-to-measure amounts by using your muffin tin. Measure out broth in half-cup or cup amounts, then freeze. When done, pop them out into a freezer-safe baggie.

* Try this trick to increase the volume on your iPod (without earbuds, that is): Place it in a deep bowl. The bowl amplifies and directs the sound.

* Chrome is easily cleaned and shined up with vinegar. Keep a misting bottle in the bathroom to give handles a quick swipe after getting ready in the morning or evening.

* Ice cream cones with a flat bottom make a great container for cupcakes. Fill cones two-thirds full with batter, bake as directed and you have cup-cake cones! Frost and go!

* I sew looped tags onto the corners of our fam-ily’s wash cloths. My husband installed several hooks in the shower, and when we’re finished with our wash cloth, we hang it up by the tag af-ter rinsing it out. They do not mildew this way, because they are allowed to dry.

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Fea-tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at heresatip@yahoo.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

condensation possibly a result of the seepage.To reduce seepage, check all of your gutters and down-spouts to make sure they aren’t damaged and that rainwa-ter is being directed well away from the foundation. The drain trough under the downspout also should be checked; make sure water isn’t pooling there.Next, check the foundation and basement walls for small cracks, holes or gaps. Repair these with the appropriate type of cement. Finally, paint the interior basement walls with a waterproofing paint specifically formulated for this task, which adheres well to concrete or masonry.To reduce condensation issues, install a dehumidifier in the basement, or install a fan that will pull air outside and help the basement air circulate. Wrap insulation around cold-water pipes so condensation is less likely to occur in the basement space. Outside, try and increase the amount of air and sunlight that reach the basement by trimming back plants and hedges, especially around basement win-dows.

HOME TIP: Debris and leaf dams in your gutters can damage them and lead to other problems around your home’s exterior. Clean your roof gutters twice a year.

Send your questions or tips to ask@thisisahammer.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Ser-vice, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.Register to win at www.elmorecountytidbits.com and click on “Tommy Tidbits”. Fill out the registration information and tell us how many times Tommy appears in ads in the paper for this week. From the correct entries, a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $50 each week. Entries must be received at the website by midnight each Saturday evening or at PTK Corp, PO Box 264, We-tumpka, AL 36092.

This week’s winner receives a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Ox Yoke Steak House. (See their ad on page 1)

Last Week’s Ads where Tommy was hiding:1. Ox Yoke Steak House, p 12. Parker Tire, p 13. Wayne’s Gardens, p 34. Alabama Paint & Body, p 45. DrugTest Services, p 46. Alabam Area Realty, p 47. Karen’s Mane Tamers, p 8

Tidbits® of Elmore County Page 6

1. Is the book of 1 Timothy in the Old or New Testament or neither?2. From 1 Kings 19 for how many days and nights did Elijah fast? 7, 21, 40, 703. What region of 10 cities did Jesus mention in His ministry? Pentateuch, Trinidad, Lilliom, Decapolis4. From Numbers 11, why are Eldad and Medad famous? Carpentry skills, Righ-teousness, Prophesy, Cooking5. In which belief is Krishna a deity? Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Bud-dhism6. Who was the first king of Israel? Da-vid, Benjamin, Saul, Abraham

Here come higher gas prices -- again. No one should be surprised. These things run in cycles. Yes, prices are generally higher in spring and summer -- when we all need more gas for vacation -- and go down in the winter. If you don’t get good gas mileage, consider whether it’s time to buy a more efficient, economical vehicle. You won’t be alone. The sale of small and compact cars has increased in the past year. One automaker

reported that sales of its small cars increased by 40 percent. Another reported an increase of 43 percent.Decide, too, whether the vehicle you buy should be considered your “last” one. In other words, buy as though the vehicle will be the last one you’ll ever own -- and then drive it for the length of its useful life. The idea is to keep driving the car long after it’s paid off. Keep up with all scheduled maintenance to extend the life of the car. A payment-free vehicle is a nice thing to own. Besides not making a hefty monthly payment, the older a vehicle is, the lower the taxes and insur-ance.If you’re going to trade your car in, invest in a detail-ing package so it looks its best. At the very least, run it through a carwash and spring for the wax.These basics of saving on gas apply to whatever type of vehicle you own:--Keep your vehicle tuned. Not being at peak perfor-mance means it is going to use more fuel. Keep an eye on the tire pressure as well.--Plan and combine your errand trips around town. --Carpool, if you can, or take public transportation at

least a few days a week.For more ideas on saving on the cost of fuel, see the website by the U.S. Department of Energy: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices. You’ll find informa-tion on hybrids and electric cars, alternative fuels, miles per gallon, notes from other consumers, tips on choosing an efficient vehicle, a side-by-side com-parison of vehicles, and information about the new labels required on vehicles. Besides the estimated mpg, the new label has to disclose how much money you can likely save over five years, the greenhouse rating, the annual cost of fuel and the smog rating.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer 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, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Is it time to buy a new car?

1. “Good Morning Starshine” is from what musical?2. Which group released “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”?3. Who sang “Crazy for You,” and when?

4. Which female artist was given the nickname “Little Miss Dynamite?”5. “Shut Down Turn Off,” “Reminiscing” and “Lady” were 1978 releases by what rock group?6. Name the band that netted hits with “Happy Together “and “She’d Rather Be With Me.”

Answers1. “Hair,” in 1967. The song has been widely used, includ-ing on two episodes of “The Simpsons.”2. Aerosmith in 1987. It was written by band member Ste-ven Tyler, now of “American Idol” judge fame.3. Madonna, in 1985. The song was used in the soundtrack for the film “Vision Quest.” Madonna wed Sean Penn that same year. The marriage lasted two years.4. Brenda Lee (born Brenda Mae Tarpley), for her powerful voice in a small package: Lee was 4 feet 9 inches tall. Her first No. 1 hit was “I Want to Be Wanted” in 1960.5. Little River Band. “Reminiscing” was used in the recent Will Ferrell film “The Other Guys.”6. The Turtles, in 1967. They were originally a surf group called the Crossfires. More recently, “Happy Together” was used in a Nintendo commercial.

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* On April 1, 1700, English pranksters begin popular-izing the annual tradition of playing April Fool’s jokes. In keeping with the fun, in 1957 the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees.

* On March 29, 1806, the Great National Pike, also known as the Cumberland Road, becomes the first highway funded by the national treasury. The initial appropriation of $30,000 was made by congressional act and covered the first leg through the Appalachian Mountains to Wheeling on the Ohio River.

* On March 30, 1867, the U.S. government puts the fin-ishing touches a deal to purchase Alaska. It paid Alas-ka’s owner, Russia, $7.2 million, or roughly 2 cents per acre of land. Among many Republicans the deal was de-risively known as “Seward’s Folly,” after U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward.

* On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris. Gustave Eiffel’s tower was greeted with skepti-cism from critics, who argued that it would be structur-ally unsound. Within a few decades the tower came to be regarded as an architectural masterpiece.

* On March 26, 1937, America’s first monument to a comic strip hero is unveiled in Crystal City, Texas. The 6-foot-tall, brightly colored concrete statue of Popeye was unveiled in Popeye Park during the city’s second annual Spinach Festival.

* On March 27, 1964, the strongest earthquake in American history, measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale, slams southern Alaska, creating a deadly tsunami. Some 125 people were killed and thousands injured. The tidal wave devastated towns along the Gulf of Alaska and caused carnage in British Columbia, Canada; Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.

* On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry begins when a pres-sure valve in the Unit-2 reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania fails to close. As engineers struggled to understand what had happened, the reactor came with-in less than an hour of a complete meltdown.

? It was noted American science fiction author Philip K. Dick who made the following sage observation: “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”

? The first chocolate factory in the United States was established even before the states were united. Back in 1765, two enterprising men named John Hanan and James Baker chose Dorchester, Mass., as the site for their factory, which they mechanized by using waterpower.

? If you’re like the average American, you eat 23 quarts of ice cream every year.

? You might be surprised to learn that the given name of iconic Apache leader Geronimo, Goyathlay, translates as “one who yawns.” And the very name Apache isn’t what the tribe originally called itself; it’s word from the Zuni Indian language, and it means “enemy.”

? In a scant 100 years, from 1500 to 1600, the popu-lation of the city of London quadrupled in size.

? Singer and songwriter Roger Miller, best known for his hit song “King of the Road,” had a passion for music early, even though his family was poor. When he was in grade school, he spent his weekends picking cotton so he could save up enough money to buy a guitar. After eighth grade he quit school and went to work herding cattle and riding in rodeos.

? Interestingly, the word “pudding” came into the English language from the German word “puddek,” which means “sausage.” ***Thought for the Day: “We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” -- John F. Kennedy

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

by Samantha Weaver

1. Mark Reynolds, with a high of 223 in 2009.2. Tommy Holmes had 224 hits in 1945.3. John Mackovic (1992-97).4. Twice (5.0 blocks per game in 1985-86; 4.3 bpg in 1988-89).5. Jaromir Jagr had 54 goals and 123 points in 2005-06.6. Three -- the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998 (68 points) and 2011 (67 points), and the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005 (64 points).7. Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon and James “Bonecrusher” Smith.

BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:

1) New; 2) 40; 3) Decapolis; 4) Prophesy; 5) Hinduism; 6) Saul

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