Issue 2011-8 Tidbits of North Idaho

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TIDBITS® SEES THAT

THE EYES HAVE IT!by Patricia L. Cook

If you see things 20/20, you have good eyes to ob-serve our world and be amazed! Let’s see what we can learn about our amazing human eyes and some other eyes as well.

• Seeing things with 20/20 vision is commonly con-sidered good vision in the United States. In Canada and the rest of the world that uses the metric sys-tem, normal vision is 6/6 (6 meters as opposed to 20 feet.) This term basically means that you have “good visual acuity at 20 feet” (6 m), which is normal distance vision. • The Snellen chart was developed by Dr. Hermann Snellen, a Dutch ophthalmologist, in 1862. This “eye” chart has 11 lines of block letters, beginning with a single letter at the top, usually E. The size of the letters gets smaller from the top of the chart to the bottom, so there are more letters on the bottom row than on the top. The eighth row of letters is usu-ally the line for 20/20 (6/6) vision. Sixty-one percent of Americans wear corrective lenses to get to “nor-mal” vision.• So, are all letters of the alphabet on the chart? No. The letters used are only C, D, H, K, N, O, R, S, V and Z. These are the Sloan letters, which were designed by Louise Sloan in 1959. These letters are called “optotypes.”

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Scott Smiley graduated from The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 2003. He took the motto of “Duty, Honor, Country” very seriously — and still does. His life changed drasti-cally on April 6, 2005.

• Smiley had been through Army Ranger train-ing and was a combat-diver qualified infantryman with plans to serve in special operations. He was a lieutenant in charge of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team platoon in Iraq when his future plans were altered. • On that April day when Smiley’s platoon came upon a nervous-looking man in a suspicious car, he ordered the man to get out of the car. The man hesitated but got out with his hands up and then set off a massive bomb. The last thing Smiley remem-bers seeing was, “that man’s face, and his hands in the air.” The bomb sent shards of metal through his left eye into his brain, also damaging his right eye socket. Smiley was the only soldier hurt of the eight in the armored vehicle. • The story of Scotty Smiley is not really about the accident but about his dramatic perseverance and determination. He could have taken disability re-tirement from the Army and sat around feeling sorry for himself. • Instead, Captain Scotty Smiley has set a fine example, showing his abilities and not bemoaning his disability. Since his injury he has climbed Mount Rainier, surfed in Hawaii, skied in Vail, Colorado, gone sky-diving, completed a triathlon, and gradu-ated from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Busi-ness with his MBA (Masters of Business Adminis-tration).• Captain Smiley has won many awards and hon-ors, both civilian and military, in the five years since he was wounded. He was named Soldier of the Year in 2007 by The Army Times. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for service to our country through the U.S. Army.• He also was awarded the MacArthur Leadership Award in 2009. This award honors officers who demonstrate the ideals for which General Douglas MacArthur stood. Recently Captain Smiley taught the core course in leadership at West Point, and on February 1, 2010, he accepted command of the Warrior Transition Unit at West Point’s Keller Army Medical Center. He is only the second wounded warrior to hold a command position and the U.S. Army’s first blind active-duty officer.• Smiley is married to Tiffany, his high school sweet-heart, and they now have two sons. He attributes his recovery and determination to his family, faith and friends. “It was my wife, my family and friends who were in my hospital room singing songs and reading the Bible that gave me the strength during my recovery,” he says.• September 14, 2010, was the release date for “Hope Unseen,” written by Captain Scotty Smiley with Doug Crandell. The book chronicles his strug-gles and triumphs. His inspirational story helps us see that we can make the best of any situation that comes our way. Grab a copy at a bookstore or li-brary near you.

OVERCOMING THE ODDS:CAPTAIN SCOTTY SMILEY

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“Excalibur” [Blu-ray] (R) -- John (“Deliverance”) Boorman’s 1981 epic telling of the story of King Arthur is the best Arthurian Romance movie ever made. From the drawing from the stone of Excali-bur, to Arthur’s meeting and subsequent marriage to Guenevere, to the formation of the Round Table and Arthur’s tragic death at the hands of his son Mordred, “Excalibur” is a sweeping and spellbind-ing film, featuring bravura performances by Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Liam Nee-son, Gabriel Byrne and Patrick Stewart.

TV SERIES“Mystery Science Theater 3000” Vol. XX“Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom”“Hannah Montana Forever” Final Season“Spongebob Squarepants: The Great Patty Caper”“Dalziel & Pascoe” Season Three“Judge John Deed” Season Three“Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman”“Dragon Ball Z Kai” Season One, Part Four“Nature: Birds of the Gods”“Nova Science Now: Can We Live Forever?”“Nova: Emergency Mine Rescue”

TOP TEN MOVIES1. Just Go With It (PG-13) Adam Sandler, Jen-nifer Aniston2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (G) Justin Bieber, Usher3. Gnomeo & Juliet (G) animated4. The Eagle (PG-13) Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell5. The Roommate (PG-13) Leighton Mester, Minka Kelly6. The King’s Speech (R) Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter7. No Strings Attached (R) Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher8. Sanctum (R) Alice Parkinson, Richard Rox-burgh9. True Grit (PG-13) Jeff Bridges, Hailee Stein-feld10. The Green Hornet (PG-13) Seth Rogen, Jay Chou

TOP TEN VIDEO, DVD of February 19, 2011

Top 10 Video Rentals1. Red (PG-13) Bruce Willis2. Secretariat (PG) Diane Lane3. The Social Network (PG-13) Jesse Eisen-berg4. Takers (PG-13) Chris Brown5. Let Me In (R) Kodi-Smit McPhee6. Conviction (R) Hilary Swank7. Dinner for Schmucks (PG-13) Steve Carrell8. The Town (R) Ben Affleck9. Inception (PG-13) Leonardo Di Caprio10. Open Season 3 (PG-13) (animated)

Top 10 DVD Sales1. Red (PG-13) (Summit)2. Secretariat (PG) (Disney) 3. Open Season 3 (PG-13) (Sony)4. Saw: The Final Chapter (R) (Lionsgate)5. Takers (PG-13) (Sony)6. Despicable Me (PG) (Universal)7. The Social Network (PG-13) (Sony)8. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13) (Summit)9. Glee: Season 2, Vol. 1 (NR) (Fox)10. Toy Story 3 (G) (Disney)

PICKS OF THE WEEK“The Walking Dead: Season 1” (Unrated) -- Writ-ten, produced and directed by Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and based on the popular series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is a solid, edge-of-your-seat adult drama -- even for peo-ple like me who aren’t particularly big fans of the zombie genre.Season 1, although only six episodes long, does a great job introducing the major characters and the premise of the series. Police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is wounded in a shoot-out and falls into a coma. When he eventually awakens in a hospital, he soon discovers that the world is ending. Somehow the dead now walk the earth.Grimes makes his way back to his home outside of Atlanta, where he finds his wife, son, police partner and a few survivors. Together, they must avoid -- or battle -- zombies as they search for a safe haven to make a new home.“The Walking Dead,” although unrated, is defi-nitely for mature audiences only. It contains strong language and graphic depictions of vio-lence and sexuality.

“Jackass 3” (R/Unrated) -- Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and Bam Margera are back with an-other film chock full o’ Pain & Stupid. If you’re looking for a movie that has stunts involving stun guns or cram-packed porta-potties, “Jack-ass 3” is right up your alley. (And I think we all know how uncomfortable that can be.) The film is available in 3D DVD, Blu-ray, DVD and theat-rical and unrated versions.

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¥ It was English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley who made the following sage observation: “There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly ar-gued.”

¥ In 1955, a woman in Italy gave birth to a baby who weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces. ¥ Two United State first ladies ran away to get mar-ried: Florence Harding, future wife of President Warren G. Harding, eloped with her first husband when she was 19, and Anna Harrison eloped with the future ninth U.S. President William Henry Har-rison (also known as “Old Tippecanoe”) when she was 20 and he was 22. ¥ The substance now known as cat litter was origi-nally designed to be used as nesting material for chickens. ¥ Louis Diat, chef at the New York City Ritz-Carlton in the early 20th century, is usually credited with first creating the soup known as vichyssoise. He based the recipe on one his mother and grandmother used to make, but he had to change the name to something a bit more fancy; it seems that “Mama’s Potato-Leek Puree” didn’t fit in with the other menu items. ¥ The blood of the icefish has no color. ¥ Have you ever noticed that there’s a pale crescent of flesh at the base of each of your fingernails? If you want to be technical, the word to describe it is “lunula.”

***

Thought for the Day: “Animals have these advan-tages over man: They never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant cer-emonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.” -- Voltaire


EYES (continued):• Babies’ eyes are about 75 percent of the size of adult eyes at birth. The optic nerve, internal eye structures and visual function continue to develop in the first two years of life.• Each component of the eye has a special func-tion, and together the components are necessary for good vision. Eye professionals have to spend a lot of time figuring out all of the ways to “fix” vision problems. Imagine the days before eyeglasses, contacts and surgeries were available! Today, we are able to see well into old age. • The Chinese claim to be the inventors of eye-glasses but apparently used them initially only to ward off evil spirits. These eyeglasses were for pro-tection and probably lacked the ability to improve vision. Historians are unsure who invented the first eyeglasses used to improve vision. • The first known artistic representation of eye-glasses was a painting by Tommaso da Modena in 1352. The glasses in his painting were perched on the nose of his subject even though most known early glasses for improving sight were not. Mono-cles, scissors-glasses and lorgnettes used for im-proving vision were either worn around the neck on ribbons or chains, clipped to clothing or just hand-held. • Monocles were framed lenses attached to a chain or ribbon and used for one eye when need-ed. Lorgnettes were two lenses in a frame that the user would hold up to the eyes. They were some-what of a fashion statement, especially for ladies. They were popular at the opera and masquerade parties. Scissors-glasses were two lenses on a Y-shaped frame that, like a monocle, were hung on a ribbon or chain.• Have you ever heard the term “pince-nez?” These were two-lens glasses that “pinched” the nose in order to stay on. The name comes from French: pincer, to pinch, and nez, which means nose. They too were in frames and attached to a cord, ribbon or chain. • London optician Edward Scarlett perfected the use of sidepieces or arms that attached to lenses in 1730. His new style eyeglasses that slipped over a person’s ears, eliminating the need for chains, also freed the hands. They were popular and rap-idly spread worldwide.

Continued on page 7!


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Call Now! 208-704-9972SNOWFLAKES

Nature provides us with a plethora of beautiful things to observe. Snowflakes falling from the sky on a cold winter’s day are an amazing sight. • Is it really true that it can be too cold to snow? According to “Farmers’ Almanac,” that is false. The better statement is: “It can be too cold to snow heavily.” As long as there is a source of moisture and some way to cool the air, it can snow. Most heavy snow events happen when air temperature near the ground is at or above 15º F (-9.4ºC). • Wilson A. Bentley of Jericho, Vermont, was an early pioneer in the study and photography of snowflakes. An exhibit of the “Bentley Snow Crys-tal Collection” at the Buffalo Museum of Science at the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, shows the deep interest in snow of the man known as “Snowflake” Bentley. A farm boy who was most-ly home-schooled, Bentley had a great interest in nature, and being in one of the snowiest areas of the country, he spent a lot of time studying snow. He photographed snowflakes using photomicrog-raphy, which is photography through a microscope. • The Jericho Historical Society has mementos of “Snowflake” Bentley in its Museum opened in the lower level of the Old Red Mill in Jericho. Bent-ley captured 5,000-plus snow crystal photomicro-graphic images during his lifetime. More than 2,000 of his images are in his book, “Snow Crystals,” pub-lished in 1931.• The first research grant ever awarded by the American Meteorological Society was given to “Snowflake” Bentley in 1924 for his 40 years of “extremely patient work.” He had articles published in National Geographic, Country Life, Popular Me-chanics, Monthly Weather Review and The New York Times• Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics at Caltech in Pasadena, California, has a website that shows diagrams of the 35 most common types of snow-flakes. The website, snowcrystals.com, has some interesting facts and figures and even information on some great places for snowflake touring. • You may recall a set of four commemorative snowflake stamps in 2006. The four stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service used four original pho-tographs taken by Dr. Libbrecht. The photos were taken in Fairbanks, Alaska, Houghton, Michigan, and two in Northern Ontario. Dr. Libbrecht also has published a number of books about snowflakes. Look for them at a bookstore or your local library for much more fascinating snowflake information. • Another physicist, Ukichiro Nakaya, who is actu-ally a nuclear physicist, has studied snow crystals (or snowflakes) for many years and was the first person to make artificial snow in 1936. His devel-opment made it possible to extend ski seasons all over the world. The Ukichiro Nakaya Museum of Snow and Ice in Katayamazu in Kaga City, Japan, is about 311 miles (500 km) west of Tokyo. Another snow museum in Japan is located at Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The Snow Crystals Museum of Asahikawa looks like an Austrian castle.

TRIVIA

1. MOVIES: Who played the role of “Pardner” in the Western musical “Paint Your Wagon”?2. GEOGRAPHY: Minsk is the capital of what former Soviet republic?3. LITERATURE: In “Gone With the Wind,” what were the first names of the Tarleton twins?4. HISTORY: When did the Suez Canal open?5. MYTHOLOGY: Who was the Norse trickster god?6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What sport did Scotland ban in 1457 for fear that it was inter-fering with the practice of archery, a vital part of the national defense?7. MUSIC: Frank Sinatra first gained major fame by singing for which Big Band leader?8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who served as FDR’s secretary of war 1940-1945?9. U.S. STATES: Which state’s nickname is the Pine Tree State?10. FOOD & DRINK: What type of fruit is known as a honeydew?

ANSWERS

1. Clint Eastwood2. Belarus3. Brent and Stuart4. 18695. Loki6. Golf7. Tommy Dorsey 8. Henry Stimson 9. Maine10. Melon

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Who is the only player in major-league his-tory to have at least 500 doubles, 100 triples, 600 home runs and 300 stolen bases?2. How many consecutive seasons did Joe Torre manage a team to the major-league play-offs?3. Which NFL team has appeared in the most conference championship games?4. In 2010, Eric Bledsoe hit eight 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game to set a University of Kentucky record. Who had held the mark?5. Jarome Iginla entered the 2010-11 NHL campaign with the longest current streak of at least 20 goals in consecutive seasons, with 11. Name three of the five players tied for second with 10 seasons?6. In 2010, Sebastian Vettel became the young-est driver (23 years, 133 days) in Formula One history to win the season championship. Who had been the youngest?7. Name the last left-handed men’s tennis play-er before Rafael Nadal in 2010 to win the U.S. Open.

ANSWERS

1. Willie Mays.2. Fourteen seasons with the New York Yan-kees and Los Angeles Dodgers (1996-2009).3. Pittsburgh has appeared in 15, beginning in the 1972 season.4. Tony Delk hit seven in the championship game in 1996.5. Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Hejduk, Marian Hossa, Vincent Lecavalier and Joe Thornton.6. Lewis Hamilton was 23 years, 301 days old when he won the world title in 2008.7. John McEnroe, in 1984.

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FLASHBACK TRIVIA

1. Who first released “Earth Angel,” and when?2. What is the highest chart ranking reached by the Eagles’ classic “Tequila Sunrise”?3. What was the title of Tina Turner’s Grammy-winning 1984 album?4. What is Gloria Estefan’s full name, and where was she born?5. Which duo had a hit with “I Can’t Go for That”?6. How is the date Feb. 3, 1959, significant?

ANSWERS

1. The Penguins, in 1954. The song was a throwaway on the B-side, but soared to No. 1 on the R&B charts.2. The first single released off the 1973 “Des-perado” album peaked at No. 64 on the Bill-board Hot 100.3. “Private Dancer.” The album won four Gram-mys and included hits such as “Let’s Stay To-gether” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”4. Gloria Maria Milagrosa Fajardo was born in Havana, Cuba. She was with the Miami Sound Machine from 1977 to 1988, but never had a Top 10 hit in the U.S. until 1985 with “Conga.”5. Daryl Hall and John Oates, in 1981.6. That’s the day the music died, as written by Don McLean in his song “American Pie,” when Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and The Big Bop-per died in a plane crash.

• Contact lenses are not as “new” as you may think. The idea goes back to the late 1800s when glassblower F.E. Muller, a German known for mak-ing glass eyes, blew a protective lens for a man who had cancer. The patient wore the lens for 20 years until his death, without losing his vision. The term “contact lens” actually is attributed to a Swiss physician, Dr. A. Eugen Fick, who published the results of experiments with the lenses in 1887. • Sometimes there is confusion over which eye professional to see for eye problems. Opticians manufacture and dispense glasses and contacts. They often deal with patients after they have seen an optometrist or ophthalmologist. An optometrist is a vision professional who can diagnose vision problems, prescribe contacts and eyeglasses, provide treatment before and after eye surgery and prescribe drugs for various eye problems. Ophthalmologists are licensed medical doctors and can do everything performed by optometrists plus they can perform eye surgery. An ophthalmol-ogist must complete four years of medical school following a college degree and an internship that focuses on their desired specialty.• Animal eyes are varied in their placement, size and acuity. Many animals have vision that is far superior to humans. Maybe that is why we never see animals with eyeglasses! Do you know which animal has the largest eyeballs on earth? That would be the giant squid, whose eyes are about the size of beach balls (about 18 inches, 45.7 cm). Imagine meeting those underwater! Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal, measur-ing about two inches (5 cm) across. Ostrich eyes are bigger than their brains, which are about the size of a walnut. • If someone says you are “blind as a bat,” con-sider this: Bats are not blind, but they don’t use their eyes to see. They use sound waves instead. They make high-pitched sounds and listen for the echoes when the sounds bounce off objects. This is called echolocation. Whales, dolphins, some shrews and a few species of birds also use echo-location. • Horned toads (short-horned lizards) are inter-esting little reptiles that have a couple of very odd talents to help them ward off predators. They can inflate their bodies up to twice their size, looking like little spiny balloons, and some of the species have the most bizarre ability to shoot blood from their eyes. The blood comes from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel up to three feet (one meter). This “talent” is used to confuse predators and contains a chemical that is noxious to coyotes, wolves and dogs.

EYES (continued)


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