Tidbits of Mobile

TIDBITS® REMEMBERSTHE TITANIC

by Kathy WolfeApril 14 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. In memoriam, Tidbits brings you the facts and figures of this monumental tragedy, as well as information about the famous 1997 film pro-duced by James Cameron. • Constructed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Bel-

fast, Ireland, the Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world at the time. Nearly 14,000 la-borers contributed to her construction, at a cost of nearly $8 million. (Compare this to the cost of mak-ing Cameron’s 1997 movie “Titanic,” with a production price tag of over $200 million.)

• The ship was four city blocks long and weighed 46,329 tons. Three million rivets held the hull together. On launch day, 44,000 pounds (19,958 kg) of soap, grease and oil were required to slide the massive craft into the water. Twenty-nine boilers fueled the 159 coal-burning furnaces.

• The coolers were stocked with 75,000 pounds (34,019 kg) of fresh meat, 11,000 pounds (4,989 kg) of fresh fish, 36,000 oranges, 40,000 eggs, 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg) of butter and 1,500 gallons (6,819 l) of milk. The cupboards were filled with 12,000 dinner plates, 3,000 teacups, 300 nutcrackers, 6,000 tablecloths and 45,000 napkins.

• Although designed and licensed to carry 3,500 pas-sengers, only 2,223 people were on board, including millionaire John Jacob Astor, mining magnate Benja-min Guggenheim and Macy’s department store own-ers Isidor and Ida Straus. The most elegant first-class suites were priced at $4,350, which translates to about $75,000 in today’s money. Second-class fares were $1,750 ($24,000 today), and third class steerage was available for $30, about $350 today. First-class passen-gers ate their meals from fine china edged in 22k gold

• The final evening meal served on the Titanic consisted of 11 different courses, including raw oysters as an hors d’oeuvre, cream of barley soup, cold asparagus vinai-grette and roast duckling.

• Four days into the Atlantic crossing, the ship struck an iceberg, one estimated at 500,000 tons, with 50 feet (15.2 m) above the water and seven-eighths of its bulk

Week of April 16, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 9

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1. What were The Blue Velvets?2. Which male artist was known as the Prince of Wails?3. What did Michael Jackson, Les-ley Gore, Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra have in common?

4. The Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions was the second name of which band?5. Name the band that released “More Than a Feel-ing” and “Peace of Mind.”6. Which singer/songwriter penned and released “Free Fallin’” and “I Won’t Back Down”?

Answers1. The Blue Velvets (1959) were John Fogerty’s first band. He later formed The Golliwogs (1964), and then Creedence Clearwater Revival (1967).2. Johnnie Ray. He was probably the first singer to incite teen fans to hysteria and crying that would later become common with groups such as the Beatles.3. All had albums produced by Quincy Jones. Over the years, Jones has racked up a 27 Grammy wins as pro-ducer.4. The Grateful Dead. Founded by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron McKernan, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann, the band had a brief initial run as The Warlocks.5. Boston, in 1976 and 1977, respectively. “Feeling” was used in the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”6. Tom Petty in 1989, on his solo “Full Moon Fever” album.

Peanut Butter Kisses Muffins

You’ll get more than your share of hugs and kisses from everyone who finds these goodies tucked inside their lunch bags or waiting for them at the breakfast table!

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat biscuit baking mixSugar substitute to equal 1/4 cup sugar, suitable for baking1/2 cup fat-free milk1/3 cup no-fat sour cream6 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 8 wells of a 12-hole muffin pan with butter-flavored cooking spray, or line with paper liners.2. In a large bowl, combine baking mix and sugar sub-stitute. Add milk, sour cream, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix well just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.3. Evenly spoon batter into prepared muffin wells. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Place muf-fin pan on a wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and continue cooling on wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

¥ Each serving equals: 183 calories, 7g fat, 5g protein, 25g carb., 339mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchang-es: 1 1/2 Starch, 1/2 Meat, 1/2 Fat.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULCaroline weighed the pros and cons of Brooke’s job offer. Liam was perplexed by Hope’s mood swings. Amber amped

up her pursuit of Rick after realizing she had a worthy competitor in Caroline. Dayzee caught Amber shopping online for prescription medication. Liam began having second thoughts about choosing Hope over Steffy. Rick wooed Caroline with a steamy kiss. Hope decided to be truthful with Liam about going to therapy and seeking pharmaceutical assistance. Steffy told Taylor that she had renewed hope about a future with Liam. Donna and Pam were both offered the same receptionist job at For-rester Creations. Dr. Barton was alarmed that Hope was still taking meds. Wait to See: Brooke plays cupid. Pam and Donna begin working together.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESNicole told EJ that Stefano fixed the election results so that EJ would lose. Rafe was devastated that Carrie believed that he was really the father of Nicole’s baby. Melanie and Chad spent the night together. Marlena was thrilled by John’s arrival but couldn’t believe that he was putting their lives in danger again by working with the ISA. Bo showed signs of consciousness after reach-ing for Hope’s hand in the hospital. Austin told his sister that he and Carrie were giving their marriage another shot. Sami interrupted a promising moment between EJ and Nicole. Rafe almost told Carrie the truth about Ni-cole’s baby. Wait to See: Lexie bonds with EJ during her illness. John learns that the gold coin has been decoded.

GENERAL HOSPITALEwen suggested that Kate admit herself to a psychiatric hospital. Olivia was disappointed to learn that Steve’s mom -- the infamous Heather Webber -- was moving in. Tracy was upset when no one acknowledged her birthday -- except Luke. Not everyone in Port Charles was happy for Johnny and Carly’s blooming relation-ship. John pushed Sonny’s buttons at the trial. Michael comforted Starr after a breakdown from the stress. Sam kept her connection to John secret from Jason. Olivia turned to Ewen for help about her home situation. Matt told Maxie that he loved her. Tracy asked Luke to help her be free of Anthony. Wait to See: Epiphany becomes a friend to Patrick. Sonny has some tough questions for Kate.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSChelsea went into labor after falling into a frozen lake. Adam performed the emergency delivery in a cabin, where Chelsea gave birth to a baby boy. Jack agreed to marry Genevieve, but secretly planned to divorce her after she handed the company over to him. Billy and Victoria came to the cabin and realized that someone must have delivered Chelsea’s baby, but Adam hid from view after spotting them. Ashley was delighted by Sha-ron’s invitation to be a part of Faith’s life. Jack was able to convince Genevieve that he loved her after she over-heard his deceitful plan. Victoria feared that Chelsea will change her mind about the adoption. Wait to See: Jack and Nikki rekindle their romance. Ricky betrays Phyllis.

below. Icebergs are typically at their worst during April, because warmer spring temperatures melt the thick ice of the sea that has held the icebergs in place, re-leasing them to float free. The ship’s wireless operators received seven telegraphed ice warnings that fateful night. The final message, placed under a paperweight, was never delivered to those on the ship’s bridge. The ice field the Titanic encountered was close to 80 miles (128 km) long.

• The ship was equipped with lifeboats for 1,178 of the more than 2,200 people on board. The death toll was 1,517, of which only 306 bodies were recovered. Al-though a lifeboat could hold 65 people, the first one was launched with only 28 on board. Had the crew loaded the existing lifeboats to capacity, 500 more lives could have been saved.

• The original plans called for an additional 12 lifeboats on the deck, but the White Star Line’s management ditched the idea, claiming the deck would “look too cluttered.”

• It was not a large gash in the hull of the Titanic that caused her to sink; rather the force of the impact caused the steel rivets to pop, buckling the steel plates of the hull. Based on the ship’s speed of about 22 knots, if the iceberg had been sighted only 30 seconds sooner, the collision could have been avoided. With one knot equal to 1.516 mph (2.44 km/h), 22 knots was close to the highest speed the ship had ever reached.

• It took only two hours and 40 minutes for the Titanic to sink after striking the iceberg. The ship that responded immediately to the distress calls was the Carpathia, 58 miles (93 km) away. Unfortunately, it took four hours for the ship to reach the Titanic. The Carpathia carried the 700-plus survivors into New York harbor, where the ship was met by over 40,000 people.

• Most of the victims froze to death rather than drowned in the 28º F (-2º C) water, where death occurred in as lit-tle as 15 minutes. When James Cameron produced his 1997 movie blockbuster, he instructed cast members on the stages of hypothermia in order to make their scenes more realistic. Cameron advised his cast, “It’s supposedly a very peaceful feeling.” The actors’ icy fro-zen hair was created by coating hair with colored wax.

• Of the 306 bodies recovered, 150 were never claimed. Those unclaimed were buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

• Captain Edward Smith had plans of retiring after safely navigating the Titanic to New York City, wrapping up 38 years with the White Star Line.

• The wreck of the Titanic was discovered in September 1985, on an expedition led by Robert Ballard. She lay approximately 400 miles (644 km) off the coast of New-foundland, 1,191 miles (1,917 km) from New York City, 12,460 feet (3,798 m) below the ocean’s surface. The bow and the stern were 1,970 feet (600 m) apart. Dur-ing Ballard’s expedition, more than 20,000 photos were shot in four days.

• Producer James Cameron made 12 trips to the actual wreckage site to conduct research for his 1997 film. His movie contains actual footage from these trips, shot on location. A replica of the ship was constructed for the film, and it was sunk in an immense tank filled with 17 million gallons of water. A hydraulic lift was used to tilt the tank and raise and lower the ship.

• Several items recovered from the wreckage now reside in a Philadelphia museum, including Mrs. John Jacob Astor’s lifebelt, a menu from the dining room, a deck chair and a piece of wood from a lifeboat.

• The youngest passenger on the ship was Millvina Dean, just nine weeks old. Her parents were emigrating to Wichita, Kansas, where they had family and friends. Millvina, along with her mother and brother, were some of the first steerage passengers to be loaded into lifeboats. Her 25-year-old father did not survive. Mill-vina was also the last living survivor, passing away in May 2009, at the age of 97. Her ashes were scattered off the Southampton dock, where the Titanic had been launched. Strangely enough, her brother died on the 80th anniversary of the sinking.

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1. ART: Which French painter is known for his depictions of ballerinas?2. ANATOMY: Where is the hyoid bone located?3. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the only mammal that can fly on its own?4. GEOGRAPHY: What is the smallest U.S. state in land area?5. TELEVISION: What was the theme song of the TV sitcom “Married with Children”?6. MOVIES: Who played the dad in the film “The Shining”?7. ADVERTISEMENTS: What product did the first television advertisement feature?8. HISTORY: Aside from Rome, where did the popes of the Catholic Church reside for a brief period in the Middle Ages?9. PERSONALITIES: What actor got his start as a circus per-former?10. FAMOUS QUOTES: Who once said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”?

Answers1. Edgar Degas 2. Throat 3. A bat 4. Rhode Island 5. “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra 6. Jack Nicholson 7. Bulova watches8. Avignon, France 9. Pierce Brosnan 10. President Harry Truman

Q: Throughout the years, I’ve been hearing rumblings of an “Anchorman” sequel, but nothing has come to pass. The rumblings have started back up,

so please tell me it’s gonna happen! -- George G., Omaha, Neb.A: Guess what, George? It’s gonna happen! Will Farrell announced -- in his Ron Burgundy character -- on “Conan” that Paramount has indeed signed off on a sequel to the hit 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” Director Judd Apatow is expected to return, as are Steve Carell and Paul Rudd.

***Q: I’ve been rewatching episodes of “The X-Files,” and wondered what the actor who played my favorite character, the Cigarette-Smoking Man, has been doing lately. I love every episode he is in. -- Summer F., via e-mailA: William B. Davis (but you can call him Bill) has guest-starred on countless TV series and movies since “The X-Files” ended, including “Damage,” “Smallville,” “HumanTarget,” “Stargate SG-1”

and tons more. His most recent accomplishment is the publication of his memoirs, “Where There’s Smoke ... The Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.” Fans will be surprised to learn that Bill quit smoking when he was 40. (He smoked herbal cigarettes on the show.) And unlike his character, Bill is not a believer in the paranormal, which confuses fans when they meet him.

“People sometimes assume that one chooses to be in a particular project because one has a belief or a commitment about it,” Bill told me. “It was a great role, and I was happy to do it, but I certainly didn’t choose it because it was about the paranormal. It’s not difficult for an actor to imagine there are aliens who are abducting people. But that’s a far cry from actually believing that as a person. With Gillian (Anderson, “Scully”) and David (Duchovny, “Mulder”), it was reverse too, because David was a skeptic and Gillian was a believer.”

***Q: I was thrilled to see William Baldwin on “30 Rock,” portraying the actor who played Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin’s character) in the movie about Jack and Avery’s life together. What has William been up to lately? -- Gennifer F., via e-mailA: You can bet that William, 49, had a blast making fun of his big brother in that episode of “30 Rock” (called

“Kidnapped by Danger”), but aside from this jaunt into the sitcom world, William’s been busy these past few years co-starring on “Parenthood,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Gossip Girl.” He also recently completed a few feature films: “Remnants,” “The Stranger Inside” and “Garbage.”

***Q: I know Emily Deschanel’s character on “Bones” had a baby, but I was wondering if she was pregnant real life? -- Audrey D., Jacksonville, Fla. A: Emily, 35, did indeed give birth in September to son Henry. She told “The Hollywood Reporter”: “I’ll e x p e r i e n c e something in an episode, and I’m shocked because it’s exactly what I’m going through (in real life). It’s been fun to see how that unfolds.”

PHOTO: William B. Davis

HOLLYWOOD -- On the heels of Julia Robert’s beautiful evil witch in “Mirror, Mirror,” word is that Angelina Jolie is set to play the title role in in the witch who gave “Sleeping Beauty” a nap she’d never forget. Based on the l959

Disney feature cartoon, this will be live action from the witch’s point of view, with possibly Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora/Briar Rose.Angelina views “Maleficent” not as an evil queen, but as mis-understood. “I hope in the end you see a woman who’s capable of being many things and just protects herself and is aggressive. It doesn’t mean she can’t have other, warmer qualities. She’s a great person. She’s not perfect; she’s far from perfect.” Well, that should be an interesting take on a big bad witch ... warm qualities and a great person!Julia Roberts goes right from her publicity tour for “Mirror, Mirror” into “August: Osage County,” the Pulitzer Prize-win-ning Broadway show now becoming a movie. She plays Meryl Streep’s daughter, who tries to overcome certain differences when her drug-addicted mother goes missing. Then, Julia takes on “The Normal Heart,” another play being made into a film.She’ll be surrounded by top-notch actors such as Jim Parsons (of “The Big Bang Theory”), Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, “30 Rock” Emmy winner Alec Baldwin, and “White Collar” hunk Matt Bomer. It’s the story of a gay activist trying to raise aware-ness about HIV/AIDS during the early l980s. At one time, Bar-bra Streisand owned the screen rights and worked with author Larry Kramer to come up with a script, but couldn’t agree on script changes and gave up.***Shame on HBO for cancelling “Luck.” The cable network was so excited to have Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman in its stable that it renewed the show for a second season after it drew critical acclaim and 1.1 million viewers for its premiere. But HBO was disappointed when “Luck” attracted only 500,000 viewers thereafter. In the early part of the season, two horses were injured during racing scenes and had to be put down. Then, a third horse reared back while going to the stable, hit its head on a rock and was put down as well.Shooting of horse-racing scenes was suspended while an inves-tigation was conducted, which gave HBO the perfect opportu-nity to cancel the show. The California Horse Racing Board’s equine medical director, Dr. Rick Arthur, was quoted as saying, “Horse fatalities are not uncommon at the race track. It’s not as outrageous as it’s been played to be.” Sad that HBO didn’t give “Luck” a chance to find its audience. Well, Dustin, sometimes your “Luck” runs out before the race is over!

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Ryan Newman racked up his first Martinsville victory on March 31. The Purdue graduate has won 16 Sprint Cup races at 11 different tracks in his career. (John Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)

Newman’s OwnMARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Martins-ville Speedway races tend to be won by acknowledged masters of NAS-CAR’s shortest track, but it wasn’t too much of a surprise that the lat-est to visit the .526-mile track’s vic-tory lane for the first time was Ryan Newman.

In his career, Newman, from South Bend, Ind., has won at the Sprint Cup level 16 times. Those 16 victories have occurred at 11 different tracks.“I think there are 42 other drivers who say this place owes them one,” Newman said after winning the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. “That’s the nature of this paper-clip race track.”The sharp curves at each end of NASCAR’s oldest track set Martinsville apart.The race was already in overtime when the top three cars -- driven by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer -- crashed in the first turn of the 505th lap. Newman managed to avoid the melee and held off A.J. Allmendinger to win a race that eventually ran 15 laps past its scheduled distance.Newman, 34, joked when asked about the diverse nature of his victories.“I just try to spread them out,” he quipped. “I could win a bunch of races, but for me it’s more important to just kind of spread it out and let other guys win once in a while.“What do you want me to say? That’s just the way it all works.”Newman is well known for his qualifying prowess, though he hasn’t won a pole since September 2011 in New Hampshire. That was his 49th ca-reer pole. He qualified fifth at Martinsville.“We were not a dominant race car,” Newman said, “but we put ourselves in contention and pulled it off.”Newman’s victory occurred exactly 19 years after Alan Kulwicki, the 1992 Winston Cup champion, perished in a plane crash. Like Newman,

Kulwicki earned an engineering degree in college. Kulwicki was, in fact, the only Cup champion to date with a four-year college degree.“I remember this day 19 years ago when I was in high school,” Newman said. “He was an inspiration for me. He was part of the reason why I chose to (study engineering) and follow through with my racing career at the same time.”Newman earned his degree, in vehicle structural engineering, from Pur-due University.

Getting the Poop on Poop-Eating

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I recently read an article that said to use Super B complex to stop stool eating in dogs. Have you heard of this? My veterinarian has not. If so, what is the dosage? The article I read referred to golden retrievers, but my dogs weigh 35 to 45 pounds. I don’t want to overdose them. -- Dianne E., via email

DEAR DIANNE: Poop-eating, known scientifically as copraphagia, is a troublesome habit in which dogs will sniff and eat their own stools or those of other animals. As you can imagine, this behavior is not only disgusting but potentially unhealthy. And it sure makes you not want to kiss your dog.Copraphagia is such a big problem that there are entire websites devoted to it. Vernon Lee’s dogpoopdiet.com is one such site. It’s clearly laid out and offers plenty of information both on possible causes of the behavior -- from health issues to attention-seeking -- and ways to deter it.As far as giving your dog a B complex supplement, it appears to address the possibility that a dog is not getting enough of certain nutrients, including vitamin B, which is leading to his behavior. B vitamins are found naturally in foods like liver, kidney, heart, eggs and kelp, and in ingredients like yeast and wheat germ. Pet stores and health-food stores both sell B complex supplements for both humans and dogs.The vitamin supplement is water-soluble and tends to break down quickly when exposed to air or water, so according to some advocates, an overdose is unlikely. However, you should check dosage rates for your dogs through their vet, or a holistic practitioner, or by searching on the Internet or visiting manufacturers websites for recommended amounts.

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¥ On April 27, 4977 B.C., the universe is created, according to 17th-century German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler. Scientists in the 20th century developed the Big Bang theory, which showed that Kepler’s calculations were off by about 13.7 billion years.

¥ On April 23, 1564, according to tradition, the great English drama-tist and poet William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-on-Avon. It is impossible to be certain the exact day on which he was born, but church records show that he was baptized on April 26, and three days was a customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newborn.

¥ On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth is killed when Union sol-diers track him down to a Virginia farm 12 days after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The original plan involved a simultane-ous assassination of Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.

¥ On April 24, 1936, a group of firemen responding to an alarm in Camden, N.J., is televised. It was the first time an unplanned event was broadcast on television, anticipating the development of live TV news coverage.

¥ On April 25, 1947, President Harry Truman officially opens the first White House bowling alley. Eisenhower closed the two-lane al-ley in 1955 and turned it into a mimeograph room. Nixon had a one-lane alley installed underground directly beneath the North Portico entrance of the White House.

¥ On April 28, 1958, “The Witch Doctor,” by singer/songwriter Da-vid Seville, hits the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s pop charts. The song used the unusual technique of recording the singer’s voice at a speed different than the music.

¥ On April 29, 1974, President Richard Nixon announces to the pub-lic that he will release transcripts of 46 taped White House conversa-tions in response to a Watergate trial subpoena. On Aug. 8, 1974, Nixon avoided a Senate impeachment trial by becoming the first American president to resign from office.

Make ABC Puppets With Personality

Every nook and cranny of your home can be a stage when your kids play with puppets. Stirring up imaginations can be as easy as putting your hands in socks or even drawing a face on a banana. Here’s a way to tell a tale while practicing the ABC’s. Make a special collection of puppets with kids that show off 26 endear-ing personalities, as inspired by the ABCs. Start with one or two letters, and add to your collection every week. Here’s how:

1. Make a basic hand-puppet pattern by placing an adult hand (with thumb and pinkie extended to the sides and three middle fingers together) on a sheet of paper. Draw around the hand, allowing extra space on all sides. The pattern should be about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide at the widest point. Adjust the sketch to make it even, and cut out along the lines.2. Place the pattern on two pieces of lightweight felt, then pin and cut out. Use a hole punch to punch holes around the cut-out felt pieces 1/2 inch in from the edge (except the bottom edge) and about 1/2 inch between each hole. It is easier to punch the holes one layer of felt at a time. Be sure that holes match up when placing the pieces together. 3. Match the felt pieces, and weave cording or a long shoelace in and out of the holes, beginning and ending at the bottom corners of the puppet shape. Knot each end. Your child’s hand should fit in the bottom opening with the three middle fingers in the wide body and the thumb and pinkie to the sides.4. Use felt scraps to cut a shape of an alphabet letter. Glue the letter onto the puppet. Add details such as buttons, wiggly eyes, yarn, pipe cleaners, fabric scraps, trinkets, etc., to create the puppet’s features and personality. The items should represent words that start with the same alphabet letter. Here are some ideas:“A” is for Alligator, wearing antlers, carrying an apple with an ant crawling on top;“B” is for Baby Bunny with a blue bow and buttons;“H” is for Hippo with a heart and a hanky;“L” is for Lazy Lion with leaves and a lollipop;“P” is for Purple, Polka-dot Pig with a peace sign, pearl and pompom;“T” is for Turkey with a turquoise tutu and two teeth;“W” is for Woolly Walrus with a wiry wig;“Z” is for Zany Zebra with a zero and a zigzag.

¥ It was beloved A m e r i c a n humorist Will Rogers who made the

following sage observation: “You can’t say civilization don’t advance, for in every war they kill you a new way.”

¥ Elkhart, Ind., has the dubious distinction of being the RV capital of the world.

¥ According to a survey by the magazine Vegetarian Times, if you’re a vegetarian, you have 3 percent of the U.S. population for company. Only half of 1 percent of Americans are vegans, consuming no animal products at all, while 10 percent say they follow a

“vegetarian-inclined” diet.

¥ The Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters.

¥ In 1743 one Dr. John Cohausen wrote a book called “Hermippus Redivivus,” in which he described how anyone could live to the ripe old age of 115 -- a particularly impressive feat in the 18th century. His recipe for a long life involved burning gum olibani, styrae, myrrh and a variety of herbs, then inhaling the fumes, while at the same time “imbibing the exhalations of the nearest little girl.”

¥ According to the law in the town of Chester, England, if you catch a Welshman within the city walls after the sun has gone down, you may shoot him with a longbow.

¥ Those who study such things say that the asteroids are so rich in minerals that one cubic kilometer of one of these heavenly bodies would provide the materials to make enough steel to supply the world’s industry for more than a decade, with more than a century’s worth of nickel, to boot.

¥ The shortest complete sentence in the English language is “Go.”

¥ If you’re like half of all Americans, you live within 50 miles of your childhood home.

***Thought for the Day: “If you live to the age of a hundred, you’ve got it made, because very few people die past the age of a hundred.” -- George Burns

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IT’S TAX TIME!As the annual income tax deadline draws near, here are

some facts about this dreaded subject!

• Folks have been paying taxes in some form since ancient

times. The first written records date back to Egypt, when

grain, livestock or oils were used as payment.

• In American colonial times, the mother country

England taxed its colonists on nearly everything, from

newspapers, playing cards and documents to paper, paint

and tea. The famous Boston Tea Party occurred in 1773,

when 116 colonists dressed up as Native Americans and

boarded three ships anchored in Boston Harbor. The

ships’ entire cargo of tea was thrown overboard, 90,000

pounds (40,823 kg) of tea in 342 crates. The value in

today’s money would be equal to about $1 million.

• After the American Revolutionary War, Secretary of

the Treasury Alexander Hamilton needed a way to pay

off the debt created by the war. His solution was the

instigation of a “sin tax,” a tax on those items viewed

by society as immoral. The Whiskey Tax of 1791 levied

a 28-percent tax on every gallon of whiskey. In 1794,

it was expanded to other “luxuries,” such as carriages,

sugar, snuff and salt.

• When the War of 1812 incurred more debt, the

government initiated taxes on gold, silverware, jewelry

and watches, an act that remained in place for five years.

When that tax was repealed, the government relied on

tariffs on imported goods to fund the country.

• The nation’s first actual income tax was implemented

to fund the Civil War in 1862. Those earning annual

income between $800 and $10,000 paid income taxes

of 3 percent, while those above $10,000 paid a higher

rate. The inheritance tax was also introduced. The office

of Commissioner of Internal Revenue was established

the same year. But the income tax was repealed once the

debt had been eliminated.

• The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913

gave Congress “power to lay and collect taxes on

incomes” on a permanent basis. The first Form 1040 was

created that year. Because of generous exemptions and

deductions, in 1913, less than 1 percent of citizens paid

income tax at the rate of 1 percent of net income.

• In 1913, the U.S. tax code manual consisted of 400

pages. Forty years later it was 14,000 pages. Another 40

years brought the document to 26,300 pages. It seems to

be getting much more complicated as the years go by —

the 2011 tax code contained 72,536 pages!

• The complexity of the system has grown a lot since that

first Form 1040. In 1990, there were 402 various IRS tax

forms. By 2002, that number had jumped to 526, and

today there are more than 800 different forms.

• Most of us complain about our taxes, but some just

plain refuse to comply. Movie star Wesley Snipes began

serving a three-year prison sentence in December 2010

for failing to file tax returns, in debt to the government

for $17 million. The government seized the assets of

singer Willie Nelson to collect the $16 million in back

taxes he owed. Baseball great Pete Rose failed to claim

income from his autograph signings and spent five

months in prison for this oversight. In 1973, the political

career of Vice President Spiro Agnew ended when he

resigned after being charged with tax evasion.

Whooping Cough Makes an Unwelcome

Return

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My hus-band has had a cough that seems to have lasted forever. He saw several doctors. Each gave him a different

diagnosis and different treatment. None worked. The last doctor be-lieved he had whooping cough and tested him for it. He did have it. The doctor said the cough would go away. He put him on antibiotics, but he said they wouldn’t shorten the cough. Why did he give them to him? Isn’t whooping cough a thing of the past, and wasn’t it a children’s disease? -- K.P.

ANSWER: Whooping cough -- pertussis is the medical name -- used to be a frequent childhood illness. It is highly communicable, and in some infants, it proves to be fatal. The vaccine practically eliminated it. Adults get it, too, even if they were vaccinated in childhood. The vac-cine loses its power in five to 10 years. Booster shots are necessary to shield people from the bacterium that causes the illness.The typical course of whooping cough in a youngster consists of a week where the child appears to have cold symptoms. Then the child experi-ences explosions of a hacking cough that can be so violent that the child vomits after coughing. When the cough calms and the child takes a deep breath in, a high-pitched whooping sound is heard. The cough disappears gradually in a month. When treated early with the antibiotics erythromycin or azithromycin, the course of the infection is shortened.

Adult whooping cough is different. No whooping sounds are made. Adults cough and cough, and may do so for months. They are usually seen far too late for antibiotics to do any good. However, the antibiot-ics are prescribed to stop the spread of the whooping cough bacterium.Whooping cough is making a resurgence and spreading across the country. Some infants have died from it. One reason is that many par-ents have opted to not have their children immunized out of fear of vaccine complications. Vaccines have been one of medicine’s greatest achievement in prevention of diseases. Fear of them is unsound and dangerous.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: On seven occasions, I have had severe pain in my right big toe. It hurts so bad that I feel like going to the emergency room, but I feel stupid about going for toe pain. My uncle has gout and diabetes. Can you have gout without having diabetes? What should I do? -- J.P.

ANSWER: At your next attack, you should go to a doctor immediately. You can have gout without having diabetes. They’re not related. The pain of gout is severe. You are not the least bit stupid for seeking relief from it. The attacks you have sound like gout. You’ve had seven attacks; you’re likely to have more. You can obtain effective medicine to stop them.The pamphlet on gout explains what gout is and how it is treated. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 302W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 3283-6475. 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.

The Grandparent Scam

The Grandparent Scam targets seniors who fall for a trick of handing over money to an imposter grand-child. Even though it’s an old scam, it shows no sign of fading away. If anything, this scam is making a resurgence. Typically the senior will get a call, supposedly from a grandchild, and be told there’s an emergency: The

grandchild is in trouble, or there’s been an accident, or a mistaken arrest. It sounds very believable.No matter what the story, it always involves the need for secrecy -- and fast cash to be wired immediately. Sometimes the story is that the money is needed to pay an attorney or for medical treatment. Perhaps the person on the other end of the phone pretends to be the police, a doctor or an attorney.If you get one of these calls, don’t immediately agree to send money. Your first step is to verify the details. Is it really your grandchild on the other end of the phone? If you don’t recognize your grandchild’s voice, don’t feed him information by saying “Is this David?” Wait until he gives you the name. If he doesn’t, it’s likely a scam. Your second step is to call your grandchild’s home to verify whether he or she is actually away -- or sitting right there.Whatever you do, don’t send any money without verification.Keep in mind that crooks on social media sites online can glean a lot of information. Beware naming your grandchildren on Facebook or any-where else.If this has happened to you, you must report it to the police. But you won’t be alone. Thousands of others experienced this type of scam last year alone.

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Summer Camps 2012

When it comes to picking out a summer camp, the choices are nearly endless: residential for girls or boys, adventure, academic, religious, special interest, special needs and more.A typical camp’s offerings might include sailing, riflery,

wind surfing, rowing, kayaking, arts and crafts, drama, camp craft, archery, tennis, soccer, softball, swimming, diving, canoeing, kickball, English horseback riding and a ropes course. Others have waterskiing, dance (contemporary, ballet, jazz), plant identification and tracking, woods camping, photography, pottery ... and more.To get started in your hunt for a summer camp for your child, go to the Camp Page [www.camppage.com] and put your information in the drop-down lists. You have a choice between Search via camp activity, such as horseback, art, sports, academic or computer. Then search for your state.Or go to www.chooseacamp.com and select a camp by activity category. Each camp link gives the phone number and web address of the camp for more information.If you need assistance paying for summer camp, search online for the name of your state and campership. You’ll find a great many camps that offer fully or partially paid camperships. Additionally, there are foundations and grant programs that give money every year for children to go to camp. On the local level, investigate low cost or free sleep-away or day camp experiences through your YMCA (look for different theme weeks to match your child’s interests), Salvation Army, garden and environmental groups, town, Scouts and church. If you also have time off (or there’s a grandparent who will fill in), ask about vol-unteering as a way of defraying expenses, perhaps in the kitchen or as a crafts or sports assistant.If all else fails and there is no way to afford camp, band together with parents in a similar situation and create your own. Arrange for the campers to spend one day a week at a different house with theme activities hosted by the parents based on their talents, or field trips to local sites such as a farm or museum. Make one night a camp out in the yard. Hot dogs, S’mores, sleeping bags, flashlights -- and ghost stories -- are all you’ll need.If you’re able to donate, the money you send to local camps will allow children to have the camp experience even though it’s not in the family budget.