3rd Quarter 2012Week 33

August 12 - 18Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTSISSUE 2012.33

A Favorite “Child”pages 1-4

Famous Landmarks:Chesapeake Bay Bridge

pages 5-6

Fascinating Foodpages 7-8

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A FAVORITE “CHILD”by Blue Sullivan

America is a culture that loves good food. The proliferation of successful cooking shows on TV like “Master Chef” and “Chopped” has given rise to the “celebrity chef.” Yet perhaps the most beloved chef since the advent of television isn’t on TV anymore. That’s Julia Child.

• Shewasbornin1912inPasadena,California.Her father Johnwas a graduate of Princetonand a California real estate investor, andher mother, also named Julia, was a paper-company heiress.

• Inheryouth,ChildattendedtheeliteKatherineBransonSchoolforGirlsinSanFrancisco.Shewasthetalleststudentinherclassat6feet,2inches.

•Atschool,Childwasknownasahigh-spiritedgirlwholovedplayingpranks.Shewasalsoanaccomplishedathlete,especiallyskilledatgolfand tennis.

•ChildattendedSmithCollegeinNorthampton,Massachusetts. Her intended career had little todowithcooking.Shewantedtobeawriterinstead.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 1.67 million of us (veterans and service members alike) have signed up online for access to our benefits infor-mation. That number slightly exceeds the VA’s expec-tations for 2012. Next year it’s hoping to increase that to 2.5 million users.eBenefits, at www.ebenefits.va.gov, allows us to learn about our individual benefits without having to go to a VA facility and ask. With one password, we can access the whole site. VA officials say it’s secure. I suppose time will tell whether that’s accurate, but for now there haven’t been any problems.What can you do at eBenefits? There are 46 functions. Here are a few:

How to Prevent Heat Injuries

--The most popular function so far is checking the status of claims with the VA. Two million of us per month have been using it for that.--The Career Center has a hiring site, resume builder, self-assessment tools and a translator that takes military experience and correlates that to civilian skills. Eight thousand of us visited that site in the first week it was up.--There is a one-click link to the myHealtheVet, where we can get health information.--Another handy function is the ability to download VA correspondence, including military records, home loan certificates of eligibility, civil-service preferences, benefits verification letters and more. We can check GI Bill enrollment, health insurance status and VA payment history.The VA is hoping that all of this online interaction will help speed up the processing of claims. It wants to go digital as a way of clearing the backlog and reaching its goal of completing claims in less than 125 days by 2015.If you check in and use eBenefits, here’s a suggestion: Once you locate documents, print them out and keep a copy ... just in case.

eBenefits

A Favorite “Child” (continued):

• “There were some famous women novel-ists in those days,” Child said, “and I intended to be one.” Alas, though she wrote often and sub-mitted manuscripts regularly to the New Yorker, none were ever published.• After graduating, Child tried her hand at advertising while working for a successful home furnishings company. It didn’t last long, as Child was promptly fired for “gross insubordination.” • When World War II broke out, Child volunteered for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Washington, D.C. She performed assign-ments all over the world, including stays in China and Sri Lanka.• While in Sri Lanka in 1945, Child began seeing her future husband, Paul, a fellow em-ployee of the OSS. Child and Paul married after the war in September of 1946.• Paul and Child moved to France in 1948, when Paul was assigned to work at the American Embassy in Paris. It was there that Child’s love for cooking came into full bloom. She was quoted as saying, “The whole experience was an open-ing up of the soul and spirit for me . . . I was hooked, and for life, as it turned out.”• In Paris, Child enrolled in the world-re-nowned “Le Cordon Bleu” cooking school. After six months of training, she chose to open her own school with two fellow classmates. • They named the school “L’Ecole de Trois Gourmandes,” which translates to “The School of the Three Gourmands.”• Child and the other two founders of the school set out to create a cookbook of French cuisine that might be understood and employed by regular folk.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: This will be my first year as an assistant football coach at the high-school level. The head coach has given me the task of preparing for heat-related injuries. It stays hot here way into October. I’d appreciate any tips you can give me. -- G.O.

ANSWER: The best prevention for heat injuries is calling off practice on hot, humid days. What exactly is a hot, humid day? If your school has a wet-bulb globe thermometer, on days when it registers 82 or higher, either call off practice or limit the work done. This reading incorporates heat and humidity. It takes two weeks for the body to acclimatize to heat. In the first few days, drills should not be demanding. Once acclimatized, the body sweats earlier and the sodium content of sweat lessens. Encourage players to stay hydrated. They should drink 16 to 20 ounces of water or a sports drink two hours before and again half an hour before practice. Players should continue to drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes. Sports drinks provide sodium.Heat cramps are the first sign of trouble. Muscles of the arms, legs or abdomen cramp. Cramping players should be taken out of practice, sit in a cool, shaded place and drink sodium-containing fluids. Heat fainting is a more serious sign of heat trouble. Such a player should be taken to an air-conditioned room, hydrated and carefully watched. This player ought not to practice

the following day.Heat exhaustion is the next and is a quite serious sign of heat injury. The player sweats heavily, might be nauseated, breathes rapidly and has a fast pulse and low blood pressure. He’s apt to be confused. The player is dehydrated and sodium-depleted. He must be quickly taken to an air-conditioned room, have his clothes removed and his legs elevated. Cold fluids containing sodium are essential. If he’s not responding to this treatment shortly, he ought to be taken to a hospital emergency department.Heatstroke is the most serious heat injury. All the signs mentioned above are present, but the skin can be dry. The player is groggy or unresponsive. He needs to be taken to an emergency room by ambulance. Clothes are removed. During transport, ice-water-soaked towels are placed under his arms, in his groin and around his neck. Immersion in an ice-water bath will be accomplished at the hospital.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What can you tell me about hypothyroidism? Does taking iodine help? I hear that taking thyroid hormone is a lifetime commitment. -- C.N.

ANSWER: Hypothyroidism is a thyroid gland that’s putting out way too little thyroid hormone. All body processes slow. People become weak and are exhausted. They’re cold when others are pleasantly warm. They gain weight without overeating. Their skin dries. The face becomes puffy. The heart beats slowly.Worldwide, iodine deficiency is the main cause of a sluggish thyroid gland. It is not in North America. Here, the main cause is an attack on the gland by the immune system.The appropriate treatment is supplying the hormone in pill form. It usually is a lifelong treatment, but it’s not an onerous one. It’s taking only one pill a day.

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

If your high-school junior is top-notch col-lege material but you fear having him or her apply to the more well-known universities because of the likelihood of being buried in student loans at the end of four years, con-sider this: Students at Princeton University graduate without a single cent in loans, and have since 2001. The reason is the financial assistance that’s available. For more than 30 years, Princeton’s main goal has been education, and it will cover up to 100 percent of a student’s needs for tu-ition, room, board and mandatory fees. Not

covered are books and personal expenses. Each family’s financial situation is consid-ered and an amount is determined that the parents will pay toward the student’s educa-tion. Financial aid from the university will fill in the rest and will include a campus job. For more information, go online to www.princeton.edu and make your way to the Aid Estimator.How about Harvard? If your student has the grades, money shouldn’t be a consideration. In one year alone, Harvard will give $166 million in need-based grants. Parents with incomes less than $65,000 aren’t expected to contribute, although in coming years that will change to a small percentage of income be-ing expected as tuition. To calculate the cost of a Harvard education, go online to www.admissions.college.harvard.edu and look for the Net Price Calculator.Dartmouth has raised its family income level to $100,000. Below that amount, loans are not included in financial-aid packages. Read

the fine print, however. Student health in-surance and room and board are not neces-sarily included.The University of Pennsylvania has gone all-grant, no-loan, as have Swathmore, MIT (for parents making less than $75,000) and Vanderbilt.Is Yale in your student’s future? Beware, if you want to avoid student loans. While Yale has need-based financial aid, student loans are considered part of that “self-help” extra-fees money that the student is responsible for. Go online to www.yale.edu and look for the Net Price Calculator to determine your contribution to your child’s fees.To find more colleges that don’t include loans as part of tuition payments, go online and search for “no loan financial aid” for more colleges with in-house financial aid.Hunt for message boards or blogs that might give a fuller picture of the financial aid that’s offered at a given school.

College Education With No Loans

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1. Is the book of Nebuchadnezzar in the Old or New Testament or nei-ther?2. From 1 Kings 9, who built the walls of Jerusalem? David, Solomon, Belshazzar, Nimrod3. Which biblical name means “Wor-shiper of the Lord”? Malachi, Laza-rus, Obadiah, Jonah4. 2 Kings and which other book mention cannibalism? Proverbs, Titus, Lamentations, Judges5. What angel appeared to Mary and Zacharias? Haniel, Paschar, Sofiel, Gabriel6. From Genesis 4, who invented tents? Cain, Jabal, Abel, Adam

Salmon and Cucumber Sandwich

Even on a hot August lunch break, this sandwich can lower the temperature, even if the thermometer doesn’t budge!

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon dried dill weed1 (14 3/4-ounce) can pink salmon, drained, boned, skinned and flaked3/4 cup finely chopped unpeeled cucumber3 pita bread rounds, halved

1. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill weed. Add salmon and cucumber. Mix gently to combine.2. For each sandwich, spoon about 1/2 cup salmon mixture into a pita half. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.

¥ Each serving equals: About 180 calories, 4g fat, 16g protein, 20g carb., 688mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 Meat, 1 Starch.

Do you have a question about cancer? If so, we want to answer it!

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Note: Due to time limitations, not every ques-tion submitted can be addressed during the program. However, following the program, you will have the opportunity to meet our experts and ask additional questions.

Progress & Promise: Common Questions, Uncommon Answers

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Questions and Answers 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Reception with Today’s Leaders in Cancer Re-search: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: UAB’s Alys Robinson Stephens Perform-ing Arts Center, Sirote Theatre

Remember that the deadline to submit ques-tions is Friday, August 24!

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Progress & Promise

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movies and my discovery of film. I’m very honored to be chosen, especially since it’s my hometown, home festival. I’m looking forward to it.”***Q: I love the new “Dallas” -- it’s just what I’ve been missing from my regular TV lineup. Will it be back for another season? -- Gail W., via e-mailA: I wholeheartedly agree with you. I got chills as I watched the premiere episode and those familiar strains of the “Dallas” theme started up. TNT has indeed renewed the hit series. The network has ordered 15 episodes for its second season, which is scheduled to air in 2013.

1. LANGUAGE: What does the Greek prefix “crypto” mean?2. MEASUREMENTS: If the outside temper-ature is 10 degrees on the Celsius scale, what temperature is it on the Fahrenheit scale?3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: The Julian cal-endar was named for whom?4. ASTRONOMY: What is perihelion?5. CHEMISTRY: What is the symbol for the element magnesium?6. LAW: Legally speaking, what does a tes-tament do?7. GEOGRAPHY: What modern-day coun-try is in an area known in ancient times as Lusitania?8. MEDICINE: What disease is caused by deficiency of vitamin A?9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “The Swiss Family Robinson”?10. MATH: What does the symbol “r” stand for in geometry?

you, Beth is excited for the action/dramedy’s fifth season, telling me: “All I can say is that there is a reason that we are in Portland, and there will be a payoff to that toward the end of the season.“For Parker personally, she’s in a good place. Now she’s able to be a part of something bigger, and she’s able to socialize. No one’s going to (mess) with her because she’s still got her edge, and she’s smart as a whip. I think she’s opened up socially and emotionally. Some of those bound-aries have been let down and she kind of understands how to get along in society.”***Q: I really like the actor who plays Ben on TNT’s “Falling Skies.” Can you tell me more about him? -- Leanne W., Salem, Mass.A: Toronto native Connor Jessup -- who plays the middle son of Noah Wylie’s character, Tom Mason -- started act-ing at the age of 11 and counts among his loves directing, writing and producing along with acting. The 18-year-old stars in the big-screen drama “Blackbird,” which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where he will be presented with the Toronto Rising Star Award (along with three or four other recipients).Connor is thrilled to be chosen as a Rising Star, and he told me: “TIFF means a lot to me. It’s a big part of my life. It was probably a main factor in influencing my love of

Q: I haven’t heard much about the upcoming movie “The Lone Ranger,” starring my favorite actor, John-ny Depp. Please tell me that the movie is still being made and will be released! -- Pauli A., Colchester, Vt.A: The big-screen version of the small-screen classic -- starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Ham-mer as the Lone Ranger -- is on track for a July 3, 2013, release. The movie, which also stars Johnny’s “Sweeney Todd” co-star Helena Bonham Carter, ran into some delays earlier on due to rewrites, and more recently because of budgetary concerns. ***Q: I am so happy that “Leverage” has started a new season. Can you tell me what to look for this season? -- Geoff F., via e-mailA: I recently spoke with Beth Riesgraf, who plays Parker, the Leverage team’s resident thief, cat bur-glar, pickpocket and safecracker extraordinaire. Like

¥ On Aug. 24, 79, after centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In the 18th cen-tury, the cities were rediscovered and excavated, pro-viding an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization.

¥ On Aug. 25, 1835, the first in a series of six arti-cles announcing the supposed discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper. The hoax articles offered vivid description: enormous amethyst crystals and lush vegetation, as well as ani-mals such as unicorns, two-legged beavers and furry, winged humanoids resembling bats.

¥ On Aug. 23, 1902, pioneering cookbook author Fan-nie Farmer, who changed the way Americans prepare food by advocating the use of standardized measure-ments in recipes, opens Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery in Boston.

¥ On Aug. 20, 1920, the owners of four Ohio League teams -- the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians and Dayton Triangles -- meet to form a new professional football league. Football star Jim Thorpe was nominated as president of the new league.

¥ On Aug. 21, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in stag-gered rows.

¥ On Aug. 22, 1962, President Charles De Gaulle of France survives one of several assassination attempts against him thanks to the superior handling perfor-mance of the presidential automobile, the Citroen DS 19. During the attack, a hail of 140 bullets shattered the car’s rear window and punctured all four of its tires.

¥ On Aug. 26, 1974, Charles Lindbergh, the first man to accomplish a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, dies in Maui, Hawaii, at the age of 72. To reduce weight on the plane during his famous flight, everything that was not essential was left out: radio, gas gauge, night-flying lights, navigation equip-ment and parachute.

A Favorite “Child” (continued):

• The two-volume cookbook was released in 1961, entitled “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” The book was incredibly successful, remaining the bestselling cookbook for over five years.• The book has since become a favored teaching tool at cooking schools throughout the world. Yet there was a time when it looked like it might never be published at all.• The writing of the book was a grueling and frustrating 10-year process for Child and her collaborators. She would spend months trying to perfect recipes for just a single ingre-dient. She wrote to her principal collaborator, Simca Beck, during her frustration: “I’ve just poached two more eggs and thrown them down the toilet.”• The initial draft of the book was turned down by the first publisher, as were many subsequent drafts. Only after offering it to a different publisher, Alfred Knopf, was it picked up for publication.• Child’s first television appearance was on a humble Boston public television station in 1962. She cooked an omelet on air. After a sur-prisingly positive and vocal response, she was invited to do a series. Her initial pay was about $50 a show.• Child’s show, “The French Chef,” grew quickly beyond those humble beginnings. Soon after its initial airings, the show was syndicated to 96 stations. The show was both a commercial and a critical hit. In 1964, Child was presented with the George Foster Peabody Award for her work on the show. Two years later, she was given an Emmy Award as well.

• “The French Chef” was produced and directed by Russ Morash. It ran for 199 epi-sodes between 1963 and 1966.• “The French Chef” was just one of many shows Child appeared on during her long ca-reer. Other programs included “Julia Child and Company,” “Julia Child and More Company” and “Dinner at Julia’s.” She was also a regular guest on “Good Morning, America.”• Child wrote many other cookbooks after her initial success. Among these were “In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs,” “Baking with Julia,” “Julia’s Delicious Little Dinners” and “Julia’s Ca-sual Dinners.” Many of these were accompanied by their own TV specials.• Julia Child died on August 13, 2004. She was just two days shy of her 92nd birthday. She was remembered by her family and friends as a person of great generosity who loved to teach others. Though she once mourned her “lack of talent,” Child left an indelible legacy in the kitchens of people around the world.• In addition to inspiring both the book and film, “Julie and Julia,” Child’s life inspired an exhibit entitled “Julia Child’s Kitchen” to be installed at the National Museum of American History.• The installation is 20 feet by 14 feet. These were the dimensions of Child’s kitchen in Mas-sachusetts. Though the walls and floor were created for the exhibit, everything else found there is from Child’s own former kitchen. The arrangement of everything found inside was assembled exactly to replicate Child’s original workspace.• There are over 1,200 individual pieces from Child in the exhibit, including equipment housed in the cabinets and drawers. These objects are not visible to the general public, but hundreds of others still are.

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Spirit home, and finish your own run.Running with your dog can be rewarding, providing companionship and even a measure of security. But keep your dog’s welfare in mind throughout the exercise. Heidi Ganahl of Camp Bow Wow offered some important tips for keeping your dog safe while running:--Don’t feed your dog less than 1 hour before or after running, to avoid the possibility of bloat.--Put sunblock on your dog’s nose on sunny days.--Make sure he drinks plenty of water before and after the run.--Check your dog’s feet after each run for injuries.--Avoid running in very hot, humid weather, as dogs can overheat quickly.--Place reflective gear on your dog and yourself if running in the evening or early morning.

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I started my own fitness training about four months ago, and have done pretty well with daily runs. Now that my dog “Spirit” is out of puppyhood -- he’s about 9 months old -- I’ve tried to take him along. But he didn’t seem too excited the first time we went running together. He stopped running and tugged on his leash back toward home after just half a mile. How can I get Spirit into running? -- Curt C., Boulder, Colo.

DEAR CURT: You’ve got to work Spirit up to it, just as you had to work your fitness upward. He gave a really clear signal that a half mile was his initial maximum distance; at that point it was time to take him home. Spirit is still very young to be out running, so don’t get discouraged by that first-day showing; just gradually increase the distance each day in small increments, take

Running With Your DogBy Samantha Mazzotta

FAMOUS LANDMARKS OF THE WORLD:Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Rising 186 feet above the water, the beautiful Chesapeake Bay Bridge of Maryland is one of the longest above-water structures in the world. Listed below are interesting facts about one of the East’s most spectacular bridges. • The 4.3-mile-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge takes route US 50/US 301 across the Chesapeake Bay between Kent Island and Annapolis. It pro-vides Maryland with a direct link to the Washing-ton D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis areas.• The bridge is commonly referred to as Bay Bridge, yet its official name is The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge, named after the Governor of Maryland when construc-tion first began.• Before the bridge was constructed, Maryland residents were forced to cross the Chesapeake by boat to get to and from the East-ern Shore. • The idea for a Chesapeake bridge was first introduced in 1927 but was quickly disre-garded when the Great Depression struck. It was re-introduced in 1938, but with the outbreak of WWII, it was put on hold again.• Governor William Preston Lane commis-sioned the building of the bridge in 1947, and in early 1949, construction finally began.• The first span, eastbound, opened for traffic in July of 1952, followed by the west-bound span in June of 1973. The eastbound span cost $45 million to build and at the time was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure and the world’s third-longest bridge. The westbound span’s total cost was $128 million.• Both spans were designed by J.E. Greiner Company, Inc.

There aren’t many topics in research that have as conflicting results as the consumption of alcohol. Is it good for us? Bad?

When it comes to bone density in senior women, the jury is no longer out. New research shows that moderate alcohol intake prevents rapid “turnover” of bone. Turnover is the ebb and flow of bone growth -- except that in osteoporosis there is more overall loss of bone than gain. One or two drinks a day a few times a week appear to have a significant result in stopping that turnover.

In one of the tests done by researchers, bone density was checked in women who were moderate drinkers. The women were told to stop any drinking for two weeks, at which time bone density was checked again. What researchers found was more bone turnover -- or loss -- after two short weeks. When the women resumed moderate drinking, within one day the bone turnover rate went back to normal. Their conclusion is that alcohol protects bone growth like estrogen, which is missing in post-menopausal women.

However, alcohol consumption has its drawbacks, depending on the research.

In a nearly 30-year study, alcohol consumption of 3 to 6 drinks per week was linked with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer. The more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk.

In another study, light alcohol consumption was associated with a decrease in cancer risk, but moderate and heavy consumption showed an increase in risk.

Still another study concluded that moderate alcohol consumption lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Which study to believe?If you’re not sure, ask your doctor if

drinking alcohol a few times a week could benefit your health -- or not.

Alcohol Pros and Cons

• During its first year of service, the eastbound span carried around 1.2 million vehicles. By 1996, the bridge was seeing 20.5 million vehicles per year.• The westbound span stands about 25 feet taller than its predecessor. • The toll is currently $4 for two-axle vehicles, increasing from $2.50 on November 1, 2011.• The bridge is actually split as two side-by-side bridges, eastbound with two lanes and westbound with three. All lanes are reversible and the extra lane is usually given to the area of heavier traffic.• On average, the bridge carries ap-proximately 65,000 vehicles every day.• During the summer months, the bridge offers a beautiful view of surrounding areas and sailboats flooding the bay below.• Every spring, the bridge hosts a Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk, closing one lane of traffic for one day for a pedestrian walk that is approximately 4.5 miles.• The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk, usually held on the first Sunday in May, has become a widespread attraction hosting any-where between 40,000 to 60,000 people. It usually takes participants about four hours to complete. Due to construction problems and the Bay Bridge Preservation Project, the walk will not be held in 2012.• Construction of both spans used 126,100 tons of steel and 286,000 cubic yards of concrete. Over 3.3. cubic yards of earth were moved.• During the winters of 1986-1988, the eastbound span was closed and renovated and completely re-decked; it is estimated to need further renovations in 2018.• The bridge’s traffic capacity is 1,500 ve-hicles per lane, per hour.

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Fascinating Food

With all the talk about a famous chef, it seems only natural to spend a little time on food as well. Here are some fun and interesting facts about various culinary delights, rare and not-so-rare, found in the United States and abroad.• The most expensive coffee in the world comes from beans called the Kopi Luwak. These beans sell for $120 to $600 a pound and are sold mainly in Japan and the United States. The beans are found in areas with high numbers of Civets, a cat-sized mammal whose diet of ripe berries creates a unique environment for the growth of these rare beans. • The popsicle was invented in 1905 by Frank Epperson, though its creation was entirely by accident. After leaving a mixture of soda and water with a stir stick on his porch on a night of freezing temperatures in San Francisco, Epper-son awoke to discover the solution frozen to the stir stick. He called the resultant fruity, icy treat the “epsicle.” When he patented it 18 years later, Epperson renamed it the “popsicle.”• If you’re looking for something to eat that is about as expensive as a mid-priced luxury car, your search is over. The most expen-sive food in the world is a type of caviar called “Almas.” This caviar from the Iranian Beluga fish will run you about $34,500 per kilogram (2 lb., 3oz.), a price that gives it the nickname “black gold.” Only albino sturgeons between 60 and 100 years old can produce it, and only those found in the relatively pollution-free southern Caspian Sea.

• The traditional method of eating caviar is by rolling it between your thumb and index fin-ger and then into your mouth. If you’ve paid over $30,000, however, you’ve earned the right to eat it any way you choose!

• There are expensive foods, and then there are odd foods. In the West, we may be tempted to squash a beatle or cricket in our house, or at least shoo it outside. In many Asian countries, insects are welcome in the kitchen; in fact they’re on the menu!• While coconut milk comes from the co-conut flesh, coconut water is the liquid actually found within the coconut. In addition to being refreshing, coconut water has another, unexpect-ed use. • Coconut water is actually an acceptable substitute for blood plasma. It has a PH level that is ideal. It is also sterile. • For anyone who really loves cherry pie, there are reasons to encourage your continued consumption of this wonderful (though calorie-rich) dessert. It turns out that the chemicals that give tart cherries their red appearance have potentially more pain-relieving potential than aspirin or Advil. It’s thought that a diet of 20 tart cherries a day can lessen inflammation and the likelihood of headaches. • Residents of Michigan are especially fortu-nate in this regard, since Michigan contains nearly four million cherry trees. Each of these produces between 150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries a year. Considering a cherry pie has about 250 cherries, Michigan is a cherry pie lover’s dream.

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BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1) Neither; 2) Solomon; 3) Obadiah; 4) Lamentations; 5) Gabriel; 6) Jabal Answers

1. Hidden2. 50 degrees F3. Julius Caesar4. Point in orbit where an object is closest to the Sun5. Mg6. Indicates how a person’s personal property should be distributed7. Portugal8. Night blindness9. Johann David Wyss10. Radius of a circle

“Put Tidbits In The Subject Line”

¥ Do you suffer from cacodemonomania? If you believe that you are possessed by an evil spirit, you do.

¥ The world’s smallest mammal can be found only in Thailand and Myanmar. Weighing about as much as a dime, Kitti’s hog-nosed bat is sometimes called the bumblebee bat due to its diminutive size.

¥ You might be surprised to learn that an eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

¥ The Beatles was not the first band in which John Lennon played. Those previous groups obviously didn’t work out, though; in fact, at one point Lennon broke a washboard over a bandmate’s head during a dispute. After the Beatles’ success, though, Lennon apologized in style: He bought the poor guy a supermarket.

¥ Those who study such things say that armadillos can be housebroken.

¥ At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. At the top of Mount Everest, though, the lower air pressure reduces the boiling point to 156 degrees.

¥ If you recycle one glass jar, you’ll save enough energy to power a TV for three hours.***Thought for the Day: “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” -- G.K. Chesterton

¥ It’s not known who made the following sage observation: “Arguing about whether the glass is half-full or half-empty misses the point, which is this: The bartender cheated you.”

¥ The longest war in history lasted 335 years and resulted in exactly zero casualties. In 1651, the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly off Great Britain declared war upon each other, but nothing ever came of the conflict and it was soon forgotten. Finally, in 1986, the two combatants agreed to a peace treaty.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, found-ed in 1883, is the largest and oldest humane soci-ety in Alabama. Over the course of our history we have witnessed the changes in our community and yet have never left the original mission of Dr. Phil-lips “to promote respect for life through education and prevention of cruelty to animals and people”

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The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) is a nonprofit in Birmingham, Alabama that has been serving abused and abandoned pets in Birmingham since 1883. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society was one of the first humane societies in the United States. Today the GBHS cares for nearly 9,000 animals a year and serves pets and people through their various programs which include, but are not limited to, pet adoptions, animal cruelty prevention, and humane education.

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