TIDBITS® CRACKS SOME EGGS!

by Patricia L. CookEggs are a big seller all year long as one of the most popular breakfast foods, an essential ingredient for bak-ing and more. But at Easter, they are at the top of the grocery list, the star of the show!• Eggs are rich in nutrients, containing almost every vi-

tamin and mineral needed by humans. The protein of eggs is the standard by which other protein sources are compared. Large eggs contain approximately 6 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fat, with about half of the fat being the healthier mono-unsaturated variety. Eggs only contain about 70 calories each.

• While once vilified as being unhealthy and the cause of heart attacks because of their high cholesterol, the egg’s reputation has recently been redeemed. More doctors and nutritionists are backing away from the idea that eggs should be avoided. Eggs have so many good health benefits that studies now say most people are fine eating an egg a day.

• To be sure, medical professionals are not recommend-ing a three-egg omelet with sausage or bacon every day. If cholesterol is a concern, egg whites are fine since the yolk contains all of the cholesterol in an egg. The American Heart Association amended its egg-eating guidelines recently to say there is, “no longer a specific recommendation on the number of egg yolks a person may consume in a week.”

• Not only does the yolk contain cholesterol, it also con-tains the vitamins and minerals that make it a nutri-tional powerhouse. Egg yolks are one of the few foods with naturally occurring vitamin D. Hard-boiled eggs, like those decorated, hidden and hunted at Easter, pro-vide about 17 grams of protein. Egg whites are an ex-cellent source of low-fat protein.

• Eggs are also a good source of choline, which has been shown to help preserve memory, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help prevent vision loss. Nutri-tionists say that eggs can help with weight manage-ment, eye health, muscle strength, brain functions and are valuable for healthy pregnancies.

• Easter eggs and the Easter bunny are considered sym-bols of new life and rebirth. Ancient cultures like the Persians, Hindus and Egyptians believed the world started as a large egg.

Week of April 9, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 8

Turn The Page For More!

NEED CA$H?Bring Us Your Old Batteries!

BatterySALES & SERVICE, LLC

Corner of Government Blvd. & Lakeside Dr.

for Your Old Batteries!

(251) 662-1300

NEWBatteries

$49.95

Good UsedBatteries

Starting at $25

Page 2 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116

1. Which band released “See My Baby Jive,” and when?2. What instrument does Ginger Baker play?3. Name the group that released

“Wasted Years.”4. “Afternoon Delight” was a No. 1 hit for which group?5. In what year were 78-rpm records last released?6. What is the “Deuce Coupe” ballet?

Answers1. Wizzard, in 1973. The song was covered in 1977 by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids.2. Peter Edward “Ginger” Baker plays drums. He picked up the nickname “Ginger” because of his red hair.3. Iron Maiden, in 1986. It was the band’s only No. 1 U.S. rock chart hit.4. The Starland Vocal Band, in 1976. They picked up two Grammys, and parlayed that win into a short-run sum-mer television show the next year.5. 1960. The 78s, usually made of a shellac compound, set the standard until after World War II, when larger 33-rpm vinyl albums became popular. Small 45-rpm single-song records rose to popularity in the 1950s, mostly due to the pop music that teenagers were buying.6. “Deuce Coupe” is an avant-garde ballet by choreogra-pher Twyla Tharp, set entirely to the music of the Beach Boys, commissioned in 1973 by the Joffrey Ballet.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes as they were intended to taste! Just fill your slow cooker and forget about it until dinner-time. What could be easier?

3 cups diced extra-lean ham6 1/2 cups thinly sliced cooked potatoes1 cup diced onion1 1/2 cups shredded, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of celery soup2 tablespoons fat-free half and half1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1. Spray a slow-cooker container with butter-flavored cooking spray. Layer half of the ham, half of the po-tatoes, half the onions and half the cheese in prepared container. Repeat layers.2. In a small bowl, combine celery soup, half and half and parsley flakes. Spoon soup mixture evenly over top of potato mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Mix well before serving. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

¥ Each serving equals: About 230 calories, 6g fat, 18g protein, 26g carb., 876mg sodium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 Meat, 1 1/2 Starch.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULAmber began blackmailing Hope about her addiction to an-ti-anxiety medication. Brooke continued to make a case for

Rick and Caroline to work together. Amber tried to be the center of attention at Caroline’s welcome home party. Hope had an anxiety attack at the celebration and snuck out to take some pills. Everyone wanted to play matchmaker for Caroline, but would she end up choos-ing Rick or Thomas? Dr. Barton didn’t understand how Hope still had plenty of pills long after her prescription ran out. Thomas found Caroline and Rick getting ac-quainted by the pool. Wait to See: Liam rushes to save a life. Dr. Barton delivers some shocking news to Hope.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESBillie suspected that EJ was behind the stolen pensions. Sami was floored by the news that Nicole was carrying Rafe’s baby. Will finally admitted to Marlena that he is gay. Carrie tried to be optimistic about a future with Austin but still found herself drawn to Rafe. Melanie and Chad’s relationship grew stronger despite Gabi’s machinations. Abigail literally ran into the new guy in town, Cameron, who turned out to be Lexie’s brother. John shook Hope out of her trance by showing her a pic-ture of Bo. Ian swept Kate in his arms. Lexie received the devastating diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor. Wait to See: Hope discovers there is more to the Anas-tasia egg than meets the eye. Madison and Brady take on a project together.

GENERAL HOSPITALHeather Webber tried to take the upper hand after Sam visited her at the psychiatric hospital. Starr and Mi-chael got to know one another despite the rift between their families. Patrick paid Maxie a visit at the court-house. Kate asked Ewen to hypnotize her again. Carly took her relationship with Johnny public at the Metro-court. Heather guilted her son, Steve, into helping her out. Patrick was surrounded by memories of Robin on his first day back at work. Spinelli was determined to prove Maxie’s innocence. Connie got reckless in front of Elizabeth and Ewen. Matt and Spinelli teamed up to solve Lisa’s murder. John agreed to help Sam with her problem. Wait to See: Johnny bonds with Josslyn. Dr. Lee makes Sam a promise.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSNeil told Katherine how much it meant to him to have Devon’s mother and sister back in Genoa City again. Genevieve was hopeful that Jack would take her back if she let him have the company she stole out from under him. Ashley and Nikki teamed up to try to talk Jack out of having a high-risk surgery. Neil accepted Katherine’s job offer to become CEO of Chancellor Industries. Vic-tor accused Victoria of going after Beauty of Nature just to spite him. Tucker and Sofia staged an argument, re-sulting in Sofia getting “fired.” Sofia then asked Victoria for a job. Victoria told Chelsea about how Adam once stole a woman’s baby. Wait to See: Adam attempts a heroic rescue of Chelsea and her baby. Nikki learns a devastating secret about Victor.

• The new life symbolism was probably the association that made way for the Easter Bunny. Rabbits, like eggs, have always been associated with birth and fertility.

• The legend of the Easter Bunny had its start in Germa-ny. The story goes that a poor woman living in Germa-ny decorated eggs to hide and be hunted as entertain-ment for her children. As soon as the eggs were found by the children, a large bunny rabbit was seen hopping away! Many stories have been written about the bun-ny ever since, and children in many places around the world look forward to egg hunts and egg and bunny-shaped candies around Easter.

• Many egg hunts now use plastic eggs, often filled with candy or toys. Real eggs, if they are used for hunts, need to be handled carefully.

• The Egg Safety Center recommends that, “Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cook-ing and used within one week.” Another food authority, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), says Easter eggs are safe to eat after a hunt if you fol-low some basic guidelines: “Use food-safe coloring to dye the eggs and refrigerate them within two hours of boiling them.”

• Since most Easter egg hunts take more than two hours from hiding to finding to eating, it is usually best to use the plastic variety.

• Other information from the USDA says that boiling an egg removes a naturally occurring protective coating on egg shells that then leaves the shells vulnerable to bacteria. If any eggs are cracked, they are very suscep-tible to bacteria as well and should be discarded.

• The President and First Lady host the White House Eas-ter Egg Roll every year on the Monday after Easter. The Easter Egg Roll activities were started in the mid-1800s and were originally held at the U.S. Capitol grounds. Af-ter years of wear and tear to the lawn, Congress passed a law in 1876 forbidding the Capitol grounds from be-ing used as a children’s playground.

• In 1878, when President Rutherford B. Hayes heard of the law, he issued an official order that any children who showed up at the Capitol grounds for an egg roll should be sent to the White House. Since that time, successive Presidents have continued the tradition, with the event held on the south lawn of the White House. It has only been cancelled a few times because of bad weather and during World Wars I and II. During the war years, egg rollers still congregated, some at the Washington Monument, the National Zoo and even at the Capitol grounds. (Remember, that was forbidden by law!)

• Pysanky are Ukrainian Easter eggs (Pysanky is plural; the singular is pysanka). Pysanky folk art, where eggs are decorated using beeswax in a wax resist method, is a practice that has been around for thousands of years in Ukraine. Over 10,000 pysanky are displayed in the egg-shaped Pysanka Museum that opened in Septem-ber 2000 in Kolomyia, Ukraine.

• Canada, specifically Vegreville, Alberta, is home to the world’s largest pysanka. The area has many Ukrainian immigrants, and the pysanka was chosen as a symbol to honor the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in their centennial year of 1975.

• While the Vegreville pysanka is the world’s largest in-edible Easter egg, there have been a number of large edible chocolate eggs in recent years. Vying for recog-nition from the Guinness Book of World Records (GWR), impressive chocolate eggs usually make their debuts at shopping centers. A 14,197-pound, 12-ounce (6,440-kg) chocolate Easter egg was on display at a shopping center in Sao Jose, Santa Cararina, Brazil on April 3, 2010.

• Last year, that one was beaten out for the title by an even larger egg displayed at a shopping center in Cor-tenuova, Italy. According to GWR, it weighed an im-pressive 15,873 pounds (7,200 kg). Now that is a lot of chocolate — and not quite as healthy as a real egg!

For Advertising Call 251-680-7052 Page 3

1. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: Who once said, “He who laughs last has not yet heard the bad news”?2. MONEY: What is the basic unit of currency in India?3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin term “gratis” mean?4. MEASUREMENTS: A year must be divisible by what num-ber to be a leap year?5. GOVERNMENT: Who was the first black female U.S. sena-tor?6. EXPLORERS: Who was the first European explorer to see the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean (1513), after crossing the Isthmus of Panama?7. ANCIENT WORLD: What were the common people of an-cient Rome called?8. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Lithuania?9. SCIENCE: What is the name of the historical period in which dinosaurs lived?10. MYTHOLOGY: What was Pygmalion’s profession?

Answers1. Bertolt Brecht 2. The rupee 3. Without payment 4. Four 5. Carole Moseley Braun 6. Vasco Nunez de Balboa 7. Plebeians 8. Vilnius 9. Jurassic10. Sculptor

Q: A few weeks ago you mentioned the return of USA’s “Fairly Legal,” which I do enjoy, but I was hoping for some spoilers for the

show that airs right after that, “In Plain Sight.” -- Vail K., via e-mailA: I do happen to have some “In Plain Sight” info for you, as I recently spoke with series co-star Paul Ben-Victor, who portrays chief inspector Stan McQueen. For Paul, the end of the series is bittersweet, as he explained: “There’s definitely a sense of loss and there’s a sadness there. We had become a family and have gotten even closer, especially over this past year. There’s a real warmth and love on the set. I’m really looking forward to this final season, because while playing Stan McQueen has been great, I’m looking forward to spreading my wings, and there are some very exciting opportunities out there.”One of those opportunities is promoting his new

movie, which he stars in and co-wrote, called “Should Have Been Romeo.” It was selected to the Newport Beach Film Festival in the featured slot the first weekend of the festival. “We’re real excited about that,” Paul enthused. “They’re focusing the whole event around our movie that first weekend. So, on the heels of this, there’s the last season of ‘In Plain Sight,’ which is something that’s going to be really extraordinary. Especially the last few episodes; they’re just phenomenal.”

***Q: Was “Terra Nova” canceled? -- Mary D., via e-mailA: Despite decent ratings and strong international sales of the sci-fi/fantasy series, Fox decided not to renew “Terra Nova” for a second season. However, 20th Century Fox, which produces the series, is shopping the show around to other networks, and hopefully it can be picked up in time for a fall premiere somewhere else (Syfy, are you listening?).

***Q: I am a huge fan of HGTV. What happened to Sandra Rinomato from “Property Virgins”? -- Cindy K., via e-mailA: Sandra decided to leave the show after 130 successful episodes to start her new show, “Buy Herself,” which

begins airing this month on HGTV Canada, and she hopes for a U.S. HGTV pickup soon. Rinomato stated on her Facebook page: “For the first time in history, a significant number of women are buying real estate on their own, taking charge of their financial situations. ... Women buying real estate is not a fad; it’s history in the making, and I am very proud to be a part of it on TV.”

***Q: What has Christopher Judge been doing since playing Teal’c in the “Stargate” series? -- Henry F., MiamiA: Christopher has been doing a lot of voice work in video games and animation, as well as a few guest-starring turns here and there on shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles.” This summer, he is set to appear in “The Dark Knight Rises,” which premieres July 20, and is sure to be summer 2012’s runaway blockbuster.

PHOTO: Paul Ben-Victor

HOLLYWOOD -- Seventy-year-old Barbra Streisand will produce and star as Mama Rose, mother of striptease legend Gypsy Rose Lee, in a big-screen remake of “Gypsy.” Streisand has hun-gered to play Mama Rose, long consid-

ered to be the best female role in musical theater, ever. In l959, Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoirs, excerpted in “Harper’s Magazine,” prompted producer David Merrick to option the story for Broad-way legend Ethel Merman. Arthur Laurents, who wrote “West Side Story,” was hired to write the libretto. Ironically, Merman didn’t win a Tony Award for her stunning performance.“Gypsy” has been revived four times on Broadway. Angela Lansbury won a Tony Award (l974), Tyne Daly won a Tony (l990) and Patti LaPone won a Tony (2008) for their Mama Rose. However, Bernadette Peters’ Mama Rose (2003), which was considered the first to break the Merman mold, didn’t earn her a Tony. Before he died last May, Laurents, who directed Streisand in her first show, “I Can Get It for You Wholesale,” gave her his blessing to remake “Gypsy,” hoping she’d get right the things he disliked about the 1962 Rosaland Russell film, made by Warner Brothers. Russell didn’t do her own singing, but was so good as Mama Rose that nobody cared, and with the star power of Nata-lie Wood, the film was a great success. In l993, Bette Midler won a Golden Globe for her Mama Rose in a CBS TV movie, available on DVD. When Streisand played Dolly Levi in the big screen “Hello Dol-ly” (1969), only her second film, critics complained she was too young for the role and did a bad Mae West impression. She’ll soon be seen in “The Guilt Trip” with Seth Rogan, set for a Nov. 2 release. Streisand has acquired so much knowledge as an actress and director; she will undoubtedly give the greatest performance of her career as Mama Rose. Remember, you heard it here first!

***Oscar winner and “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg is spread-ing her wings. Last year she produced “Sister Act” in London and New York, and now plans to produce a documentary about Moms Mabley. For many years, Whoopi talked about Moms Mabley in her nightclub acts and has joined forces with “Laugh-In” producer George Schlatter and Tom Leonardis to bring “I Got Something to Tell You” (one of Mabley’s catch phrases) to the screen. In addition, she’ll produce a 22-minute weeknight talk show, a mix of talk, makeovers and humor for Nichelode-on’s NickMom programming block. Hey Whoopi, I got some-thing to tell you -- be careful not to spread your wings too thin!

Page 4 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116

CALL (251) 680-7052To Take Advantage of this o�er!

**2 Month Minimum**

HAVE YOUR BUSINESS CARDFEATURED IN OUR

BUSINESS DIRECTORYFOR ONLY $25 PER WEEK!!!

PatriciaTina

DianeJenifer

Mon-Fri 9-5Sat 9-3

Open Late, By Appointment

(251) 957-6505

Irvington Bayou La Batre Hwy(Next to Minute Mart)

Patricia’s Hair Styles& Tanning Salon

Like Us On Facebook!www.facebook.com/tidbitsofmobile

Need Vehicle Titles?

We Can Help! 100% Guaranteed!Jason Steward Enterprises, Inc

A Name You Can Trust! Serving Alabama Since 2001

Cars * Trucks * Motorcycles * RV'sTrailer & Mobile Homes.

No Title, Abandoned Vehicles,Title Corrections, Title Applications.

251-342-8538900 Western America Circle (Airport @ I-65)

www.salethisvehicle.comLicensed * Bonded * Insured

For Advertising Call 251-680-7052 Page 5

After spending time with Richard Childress Racing, Cliff Bow-yer is off to a good start at Waltrip Racing. (John Clark/NAS-CAR This Week photo)

Clint’s for Certain

The Sprint Cup season is only five races old, but Clint Bowyer has gone a long way toward eliminating the uncertainty that clouded his career during the off-season.Bowyer, 32, made his name at Rich-ard Childress Racing, where he won

five races since joining the Cup ranks full-time in 2006. Twice he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in 2007 and 2010, and at Talladega Superspeedway, in 2010 and 2011. He also won at Richmond, in 2008.Late in 2011, Bowyer found that, due to sponsorship issues, there was no place for him at RCR. The Emporia, Kan., native considered several offers and decided to move to Michael Waltrip Racing, where his No. 15 Toyota is sponsored by 5-Hour Energy Drink.Waltrip’s team has won only twice since its inception in 2007. RCR has won 100 Cup races, dating back to 1983.So far, so good. Bowyer ranks ninth in the Cup standings with one top-five and two top-10 finishes.“These MWR cars have been good ever since (teammate Martin) Truex was running good at the end of last year,” Bowyer said. “Just real proud of everybody.“Looking at last year, they showed signs of brilliance, and then, I think, where they lacked was being consistent throughout the year. If we’re able to go there, that’s one thing that’s always been my strong point. If I can continue my consistency ... that’s what we’re missing.”Bowyer never felt the perceived uncertainty regarding his latest career move.“In this sport anymore, the cars are so much the same that the only real

thing you’re starting over with is the group of people,” he said. “Some-times change can be good and bad. There’s no question that, last year, I didn’t have the success that I expected and that I wanted.“Maybe it was time to make a change, and I’ll be able to answer that in a year or so. I really see a lot of potential here, a lot of things coming together at the right time for me to make a change and ride that wave on into the future.”

Flying With Your Pet

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I have to take a trip across the country in about a month, and I hate the thought of leaving my dog “Snoops” alone, even with a house sitter stopping by. I don’t want to put him into a cargo crate and ship him to where I’m going. Can I sneak my dog on board the

airplane instead? -- Sign me “Shhhh” in Little Rock, Ark.

DEAR SHHHH: Why sneak your dog aboard? Some airlines allow very small dogs -- those that can fit into a handheld carrier that fits beneath the airline seat in front of you -- to fly with their owner. Check with your airline about this option, any additional fees, rules and restrictions well before your flight.Under no circumstances should you try to sneak your dog into the passenger cabin. You will be found out, and the complications of your trip will multiply exponentially.Flying your pet, or with your pet, is a common activity and a common worry for pet owners. Some pet websites list airlines with pet travel policies, such as dogfriendly.com, which recently updated its list. Most interesting is the newly launched airline, Pet Airways (http://www.petairways.com/), which doesn’t fly people at all -- just pets (with a human attendant on board to monitor and care for them). No matter how you decide to get Snoops across the country, follow a few important steps when transporting him. Make sure his carrier is sturdy and comfortable and includes his favorite toys and blanket. Don’t feed him less than five hours before his flight. Give him water two hours before the flight. If you aren’t confident in the airline’s ability to transport him, consider leaving him with a sitter or at a pet hotel until you return.

Page 6 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116

¥ On April 20, 1841, Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” first appears in Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. It is generally considered to be the first detective story. Like the later Sherlock Holmes stories, the tale is narrated by the detective’s roommate.

¥ On April 22, 1889, at precisely high noon, thousands of would-be settlers make a mad dash into the newly opened Oklahoma Territory to claim cheap land. All told, from 50,000 to 60,000 settlers entered the territory that day. Towns like Norman, Oklahoma City, Kingfish-er and Guthrie sprang into being almost overnight.

¥ On April 21, 1918, in the skies over France, Manfred von Rich-thofen, the notorious German flying ace known as “The Red Baron” with 80 victories under his belt, is killed by Allied fire. He was 25 years old.

¥ On April 17, 1937, Daffy Duck makes his debut in the Warner Bros. short “Porky’s Duck Hunt.” In the 1920s, movie houses had started showing a short cartoon before feature presentations, but the form became more popular after sound was introduced in 1928.

¥ On April 16, 1947, in Texas City’s port on Galveston Bay, a fire aboard the French freighter Grandcamp ignites ammonium nitrate, causing a massive blast that destroys much of the city and takes nearly 600 lives. The fire department tried to douse the flames, but the ship was so hot that the water from their fire hoses was instantly vaporized.

¥ On April 19, 1957, the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Mass., pres-ents its first showing of “Casablanca,” introducing a new generation to Humphrey Bogart, who had died months earlier. Bogart had been wounded aboard a Navy ship during World War 1. His upper lip was scarred and partially paralyzed, giving him the tough-guy poker face and slight lisp that characterized his acting.

¥ On April 18, 1983, Joan Benoit wins her second Boston Marathon in the women?s division with a time of 2:22:43. The inaugural Bos-ton Marathon was run on Apr. 19, 1897, and was a men-only event until 1972, when women were officially allowed to compete.

Make Hummus for an Easy, Healthy Snack

It might not be a bad idea to include a globe or atlas when you start pulling together the simple ingredients for making hum-mus with your kids and their friends. Cooking with an international twist is such a perfect opportunity to teach about geog-raphy, history and current events. It’s also a chance to talk about the rich and varied traditions that exist all over the world. This recipe is simple to prepare, and your kids will love it. Just toss things into the blender and let it whirl. As the garlic cloves and chickpeas blend together, questions may abound, starting with, “What is the Middle East in the middle of?” That’s where your maps come into the mix.In the Middle East and here, hummus is a snack or side dish. It is often served with pita bread, the kind with a little pocket

inside. You can fill it with cheese, meat and tabouli salad at lunchtime, or, as in this case, use it as a “dipper.” It’s kind of like chips.

HUMMUS1 lemon1 tablespoon olive oil2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste); look for it near peanut butter or in the international foods section of your market2-3 fresh garlic gloves2 cups canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 2 tablespoons of water or liquid from drained chickpeas1 teaspoon salt

Here’s the fun:Let your child roll the lemon back and forth on the counter to get the juices flowing. Cut it in half and squeeze it on a manual juicer. Pour a quarter of a cup of the juice into a blender. Pour in the oil, and add the tahini.It’s garlic time. Pop out a nice big clove from the bulb. Press a spatula down hard on the clove, and give it a major whack! Peel off the garlic skin, roughly chop the garlic and drop it into the blender. Add another clove or two according to taste.Toss in the drained chickpeas, water or liquid from chickpeas and salt, then give everything a spin until smooth.Serve with warmed pita bread. Makes about 2 cups

Extra Tips:--Use as a dip for crisp vegetables and spread on sandwiches as a replacement for mayonnaise or butter. --Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin for a different flavor.

¥ It was Scottish author and historian Thomas Carlyle

who made the following sage observation: “The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none.”

¥ If you’re planning to travel to Washington state with nefarious plans, here’s an interesting law to keep in mind: Any motorist with criminal intent is required to stop before entering a town and inform the chief of police of his or her presence.

¥ Are you more afraid of lightning or sharks? If you look at the numbers, it makes more sense

to fear lightning; more than three times as many people die from lightning strikes than do so in shark attacks.

¥ The acids in your digestive system are so corrosive that your stomach must produce an entirely new lining every three days.

¥ As the Black Plague was sweeping Europe during the Middle Ages, some people, for reasons surpassing understanding, believed that plague victims could cure themselves by smelling human waste.

¥ It was in 1893 that the zipper was invented, and it was originally intended to be used in shoes.

¥ If you’re familiar with the Disney film “Cinderella,” you might be surprised to learn some details about the Grimm brothers’ version of the folktale. In their story, Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters are so desperate to marry the prince that they mutilate their feet in order to try to make them fit in the slipper (which, in the Grimm version, is made of gold, not glass). Also, at the wedding of Cinderella and her prince, the stepsisters’ eyes are plucked out by pigeons.

***Thought for the Day: “The tax which will be paid for education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests, and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people to ignorance.” -- Thomas Jefferson

For Advertising Call 251-680-7052 Page 7

MORNING GLORYMorning glories are plants that usually occur as vines and typically produce funnel-shaped flowers that open in the morning hours. • Morning glories belong to the plant family

Convolvulaceae, derived from the Latin word convolvere that means “to wind.” The morning glory family contains over 1,000 species.

• Members of the morning glory family range from showy flowers such as cultivated species in the genus Ipomoea to troublesome weeds such as field bindweed. The common sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family.

• Sweet potatoes are believed to have originated from an area somewhere between the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

• North Carolina is the state with the highest sweet potato production in the United States. Other states with considerable sweet potato production are California, Mississippi and Louisiana.

• China is the top country for sweet potato production, accounting for 80 percent of the worldwide sweet potato crop. In Asia, approximately half of the sweet potato crop is used for animal feed.

• Many people speak of sweet potatoes and yams interchangeably when really, they are distinctly different vegetables. Yams are in, not surprisingly, the yam family known by botanists as the Dioscoreaceae. Yams, native to Africa and parts of Asia, have a hard skin resembling tree bark, and the pulp is moist. By contrast, sweet potatoes typically have a thin edible skin and pulp that is a white to orange color and dry and crumbly in texture.

• One of the more interesting morning glories is Mary’s Bean named after the Virgin Mary. The plant is known by some as crucifixion bean. These names come from the cross-shaped indentation that appears on the seed. The plant is revered by natives in southern Mexico and Central America as an antidote for venomous snakebites and — are you sitting down? — a cure for hemorrhoids!

• The morning glory family is sometimes called the bindweed family due to the way vines of these plants grow over and around other plants, fences and other structures, hence “binding” themselves to the object. Field bindweed, Convolvus arvensi, is an annoying weed and probably the most hated of plants in the morning glory family. It appears as an innocent-looking small vine with pretty white-to-pink, slightly fragrant flowers. Left unchecked however, vines can cover surrounding plants. Bindweed is extremely difficult to eradicate from a yard, flowerbed or garden.

• For those gardeners wanting to control bindweed without the use of herbicides, vigilance and persistence are required. As new sprouts are noticed, pluck them out and eventually, you will rid your garden, flowerbed or yard of bindweed. Don’t try to dig the plant up because the taproot runs deep. By continually removing green shoots, you starve the plant by removing the plant parts responsible for photosynthesis. Be aware, this process takes years! Herbicides can be used, but none exist that completely remove bindweed following one application. Visit the University of California-Davis website, www.ipm.ucdavis.edu, for more guidance.

• Hopefully your morning glory plants are beautiful and bring you joy instead of angst and work like bindweed!

Heart-Attack Victims Can Grow New Arteries

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I don’t remember you addressing this sub-ject, so I thought I would write. In 1997, I had a mild heart attack and went on medicines. Six months later I had another mild incident that led

me to angioplasty. Ever since, I have been eating well, exercising and taking all my meds. My cardiologist says I have great collaterals. I have sprouted new vessels for my heart. I thought I should have some kind of intervention, but the doctor says no. Can you discuss autogenesis? Am I related to a starfish? -- R.S.

ANSWER: You’re the first writer ever to use the word “autogenesis.” If a starfish loses an arm, it grows another -- autogenesis. Humans have the same ability when it comes to blood vessels. They can grow new ones, and do so in many instances. Heart-attack victims often can sprout new arteries. It’s a long process. It doesn’t happen overnight. And it doesn’t happen to all people. Count yourself lucky.The booklet on CAD -- coronary artery disease -- discusses how ves-sels become plugged and how they are treated. To order a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 101W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. En-close a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I looked in the mirror this morning and

couldn’t believe what I saw. My right eye was bright red. It looked like someone had punched me. When my husband saw it, he asked if he had hit me while he was asleep. He didn’t.It doesn’t hurt. My vision is perfect. My eye looks frightful. Do I need to see a doctor? -- Y.T.

ANSWER: Your question is asked repeatedly. My long-distance guess is a subconjunctival hemorrhage. The conjunctiva is a cellophane-like covering of the eye. Beneath it is a network of invisible blood vessels. When one of those delicate vessels breaks, blood covers that part of the eye.Coughing, sneezing or straining causes the breakage. Sometimes it hap-pens for no apparent reason. The eye looks awful, but no real harm is done. The blood is absorbed in about a week. You can hurry it up by putting warm compresses over the closed eye.You need to see a doctor if the eye begins to pain you, if the blood stays for longer than a week or if it happens time and again.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Does heartburn cause asthma attacks? It sounds weird to me, but my doctor thinks that’s what causing my breathing problems. He has me on medicines for heartburn. I can’t be-lieve they’ll help. -- J.R.

ANSWER: Your doctor isn’t coming from out of left field. Heartburn can be an asthma trigger. Heartburn is officially called gastroesophageal reflux -- an upward shooting of stomach acid and digestive juices into the esophagus, the swallowing tube. The juices can rise so far up that they leak out of the esophagus and trickle into the bronchi, the airways. That’s what sets off an asthma attack.

Benefit Payments Going Paperless

In less than a year, all Social Security payments will be made electronically. Ninety percent of us who receive benefits already get them that way. The remaining 10 percent are being asked to make the change now and not wait until the last minute. The deadline is March 1, 2013, and applies to more than just Social Security. Veterans, railroad retirees,

Social Security Income recipients and those who receive Office of Personnel Management benefits are included. It’s said that going paperless will save the government $1 billion over 10 years.We can choose how we’ll receive our money -- either direct deposit to our existing bank account or a Direct Express debit card. So which should you pick? If you have a bank account, the money will be automatically deposited each month.If you don’t have a bank account, the money will appear each month on the Direct Express debit card. It can be used like a regular debit card, but you only get one ATM withdrawal each period, and there can be fees for other services. You’ll also need to remember your Personal Identi-fication Number (PIN) when you use the card.When you’re ready to make the switch to electronic payments, you can do it either online [www.GoDirect.org] or by phone at 1-800-333-1795. If you want to sign up for the debit card, you’ll need your Social Security number or claim number, 12-digit federal benefit-check number and the amount of your most recent federal benefit check. If you want direct deposit to your bank account, you’ll need your bank’s routing transit number (the numbers on your personal check), account number and type of account, either checking or saving.

Page 8 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116

Don’t Become a Victim of Identity Theft

The Consumer Federation of America has a new website designed to help reduce identity theft. IDTheftInfo.org is packed with consumer, business and victim resources, as well as the latest news and a section on shopping for iden-tity-theft services.

One section on the website explores how well you guard your personally identify-ing information (PII), even something as simple as your library card. If you were to lose the card, you might not be too concerned as it’s not something connected with your bank account. But if someone checks out and doesn’t return (in effect, steals) books or videos under your name, you’re responsible for the monetary damages. ID Theft Info suggests making a “PII Chart” to document the identity relations we have with companies and individuals. Who has our name, address, phone number and email address? A security breach in one area can lead to other areas also be-ing breached, and it need not be associated only with financial transactions. Hom-eowner associations, frequent-flier clubs and churches can all have pieces of our personal information that can be put together.Some suggestions:Use a Post Office box for miscellaneous mail such as club newsletters and church bulletins; disable the GPS photo function on your smartphone; and use only one credit card for online purchases. Don’t sign up with your real name on public Inter-net sites. Work to limit the amount of information in each section of your PII Chart.When you go to the doctor and fill out the forms, leave out your Social Security number. Ask if you can substitute another form of identification.Don’t use public charging stations or anyone else’s computer for your cell phone, and don’t let anyone else hook their phone to your computer. Data-stealing mal-ware could be transferred from one to the other. Are you a potential victim of identity theft? Assess your risk with an online test. The higher the score, the bigger your risk. Big point items (indicating a larger risk) are questions about whether you’ve ordered your credit report in the last two years, posted your outgoing mail at home in an unlocked mailbox or failed to scrutinize your monthly bank and credit-card statements.Look around the ID Theft Info website. The more you know, the less likely you’ll become a victim of identity theft.