Tidbits of the River Region by Ray Dutton

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A WORLD OF SCIENCE by Kathy Wolfe Through their discoveries, research and inventions, scientists from across the globe have made countless improvements to education, medicine, physics, chemistry and many other fields. Learn more about some of the most prominent scientists from around the world. • One of the most recognized figures in history, German-born Albert Einstein was born with an unyielding curiosity and thirst for knowledge. The Nobel Prize winner is credited with unlocking secrets of the universe, and is perhaps most famous for his Theory of Relativity research. • Well ahead of his time, Austrian scientist Gregor Mendel mastered genetics and discovered how traits are inherited, though it took 34 years for the science world to recognize his genius. Initially his ideas were written off as ludicrous. • Sir Isaac Newton, regarded as the pioneer of modern physical science, made many scientific advances in the fields of natural science, mathematics, astronomy, mechanics and chemistry. Credited with discovering the force of gravity, he is still considered by many to be the “greatest and most influential scientist that has ever lived.” Turn the page for more!

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Vol 1 Issue 23 paul@riverregiontidbits.com

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Tidbits® of the River Region

A WORLD OF SCIENCE (CONTINUED) • French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur is best known for creating the method of pasteurization to keep milk and wine from spoiling in addition to creating vaccines for a number of diseases including rabies. Oddly enough, when Pasteur was in school, his teachers considered him to only be mediocre at chemistry. • All coffee fanatics have Melitta Bentz to thank. Bentz was a typical German housewife that went on to invent the coffee filter, 300 years after coffee had been discovered. She revolutionized the idea of using paper to filter out the unwanted residues. • B efore he made his contributions to our knowledge about space (as well as creating his many inventions), Italian born Galileo Galilei wanted to be a musician. His father insisted that he go to medical school, yet Galilei never received his degree from the University of Pisa. He did, however, go on to publish “The Starry Messenger,” presenting among many other findings that Earth was not the center of the universe. • Although he might have found proof for the Earth not being the center of the universe, Galilei was not the first to introduce this concept. Mathematician and astronomer Nicholas Copernicus first claimed that the sun was the stationary object that Earth revolved around. His idea was disregarded by most, but he is credited as the initiator of the Scientific Revolution. • German chemist Robert Bunsen is famous for the Bunsen burner, although he never actually invented the iconic scientific tool; he merely improved it. • A lthough most scientists get their start in universities, it is only appropriate that Laszlo Jozsef Biro, inventor of the ball point pen, began as a journalist and editor. His brilliant idea stemmed from his annoyance at writing with a fountain pen. • Changing forever the music industry, German immigrant Emile Berliner revolutionized sound recording by being the first person to start recording on flat disks or records. He went on to invent the gramophone and records. Did you know that the first records were made of glass long before they switched to plastic? • Marie Curie, one of the most famous female scientists, is celebrated for her discovery of the mysterious element radium. She completely altered the way scientists thought about matter and energy and paved the way for the treatment of many diseases.

• Glorified for his work with atomic theory, England native John Dalton achieved his findings due to his high interest in meteorology. He kept weather records until his death and published a book titled “Meteorological Observations.” He later went on to explain his conclusions about atoms in “New System of Chemical Philosophy.” • Scottish scientist James Watt was considered a “delicate” child and spent a great deal of his childhood homeschooled by his mother and was considered slow in many academic areas — except for math. Watt eventually invented the steam engine, and after Parliament granted him a patent that prevented anyone else from making a similar machine, Watt went on to control a steam engine dynasty. • Known as the Father of Geometry, ancient Greek Mathematician Euclid published his ideas in “The Elements,” and his teachings influenced Western mathematics for more than 2,000 years. Since it is estimated that he lived from 325 BC265 BC, little is known about his life. • Born into a prominent family of wealth, Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro followed in his family’s footsteps to practice law but couldn’t shake his interest in the natural sciences. He studied physics and math in private for years before he published his hypothesis about molecules that was eventually labeled Avogadro’s Law. • I mmensely famous for his printing press, Johannes Gutenberg began as a goldsmith and businessman before making his contributions as a scientist and inventor. Gutenberg forever altered the method and speed by which books were distributed to the public. • German physicist Wilhelm Rontgen is known for discovering X-rays and received great recognition for his findings, including streets named in his honor, countless awards and the Nobel Prize in Physics. • German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch made a discovery that changed medicine forever: All diseases were not caused by bad air but instead by bacteria. He was able to find the causes of such deadly diseases of tuberculosis, cholera and the cycle of anthrax. Koch won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1905. • Although he was expected to enter the medical field, Frederick Sanger’s interest in nature and science was too strong. Because of his work with proteins and DNA, Sanger won two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, one in 1958 and one in 1980. He was the first person to find a protein sequence.

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There is a long history of hypnosis being utilized for pain management. Even before anesthesia was invented hypnotherapy was utilized to prevent shock and suggestions were delivered to speed up healing. Pain can be modified by changing the perception of it. When one is in a pleasant mood, pain can be minimized and increased when one is in a negative mood. Regardless of the physical origin pain is perceived in the brain. Therefore, psychological techniques can be used to alter its intensity and duration. The following is a partial list of acute and chronic pain conditions that can be impacted through hypnotherapy: Migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, dental pain (hypnodontics), burns, childbirth pain, arthritis, pain from cancer, IBS, burning and itching sensations, back pain and bladder pain. Call for free consultation and visit website: www. hypnosisworksnow.com 334-2130054

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

Ways to Control Irregular Heart DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last fall, my heart started to jump around, and I took it that I had palpitations, although I wasn’t sure what palpitations were. It turns out I had atrial fibrillation. Since then, I have been on many medicines for the atrial fibrillation plus Coumadin, a blood thinner. The Coumadin requires frequent trips to the lab. I have a hard time getting around. I don’t drive. My doctor suggests ablation. What are your thoughts? -- H.M. ANSWER: Atrial fibrillation is in either first or second place when it comes to heart questions. It means the heart beats rapidly and irregularly. The rapid heart pumps less effectively, and the irregular beat promotes the formation of blood clots in the upper heart chambers. Those clots, or pieces of them, can be carried through the circulation to the brain, where they cause a stroke. Treatment for atrial fibrillation aims to slow the heart, get it to beat regularly and prevent clots from forming if a regular rhythm cannot be attained. Medicines sometimes can both slow the heart and restore a normal rhythm. If a normal rhythm is not achieved, the patient will still do well if the heart beats slowly. That patient, however, must add to his or her treatment a blood thinner like Coumadin to prevent clots and a stroke. Your doctor has suggested a way to restore a regular

Tidbits® of the River Region beat -- ablation. A heart doctor inches a special catheter -- a thin, pliable tube -- from a surface blood vessel to the heart. The catheter is equipped to emit radio waves, which make a series of scars to prevent the generation of erratic signals that spawn atrial fib. The result, when the procedure is effective, is a normal, regular heartbeat. The patient can then kiss Coumadin goodbye. My thoughts are that it’s worth serious consideration. You can also get rid of Coumadin by switching to Pradaxa, a blood thinner that doesn’t require lab testing. It’s new and is somewhat expensive. The booklet on heartbeat irregularities explains atrial fibrillation in detail. To order a copy, write to: Dr. Donohue -- No. 107W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6. Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m a 34-year-old male and am going bald. What is your opinion on hair transplants? Do they last? How successful are they? -- L.K. ANSWER: Male hair loss occurs because male hormones shrivel hair follicles, the home for each hair. The hair thins, is shorter and falls out well before its time. Sensitivity to this male hormone action is genetically programmed, and in some men, it takes place at young ages. Have you considered using minoxidil, which is applied to the scalp, or finasteride, an oral medicine? Hair transplantation works well. The hair is taken from the back of the head, where hair follicles have a long life. It’s very successful. It would be wise to check with a doctor to see if your hair loss really is something you inherited, or if it’s a sign of something else.

Confronting a Rude Dog-Park Denizen by Samantha Mazzotta

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Our town has designated a small park near my home as a place where dogs are allowed. It’s not an official dog park, and because it also has a playground at one corner, many of us who visit have agreed that, if children are present, our dogs will be on leashes so as not to cause a problem. We’ve found the best way to allow our dogs to run free is to show up very early, when kids aren’t present. And we pick up after our dogs so the park remains a pleasant place for all. But there’s one person who doesn’t respect this agreement. He lets his dog poop wherever and never picks up after it, brings his dog at all hours and lets it run off the leash when kids are around. Is there anything we can do to stop this? -- Naomi in Newton, Mass. DEAR NAOMI: Have you approached him directly? If he doesn’t know that you and other fellow dog-

owners have set up unwritten rules on managing the dogs’ conduct, he won’t know about the leash rule you’ve established. Remind him that it’s good manners and common sense to pick up after his dog, particularly in a park where kids run and play. In many communities, it’s a ticketable offense not to pick up after your dog. If he ignores the request, make it again. Explain that the rules were put together in order to keep the park open to dogs -- if there are too many complaints, the city could ban pets from the park. If you can’t convince him, your group may have to form a more official club with written rules, in order to negotiate with both the city and boorish dog owners. Send your questions or tips to ask@pawscorner.com, or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-related advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

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a family of four to The Montgomery Zoo, 2301 Coliseum Parkway, Montgomery, AL 36110, (334) 240-4900.

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

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name and school, they have his or her voice asking you for money for the emergency. You can thank the Internet for that. If a grandchild has posted anything online that includes their voice, scammers can use that recording to create an emergency message, all in your grandchild’s voice. Grandparent Scam All of these scams have some things in There’s a new twist on an old scam on seniors. common. It’s an emergency. Money must be wired right away. If it’s not the grandchild, The “grandparents scam” has taken a very the scammer could claim to be an attorney creative turn. or another relative. And there is a need for In the typical grandparents scam, a “grandchild” will call his grandparent and claim that secrecy (“Don’t tell mom!”) there’s an emergency and that money must be You do need to consult others, though. If you wired to solve the problem. Different versions get a call like this, contact the grandchild’s parents and ask what’s going on. If they’re have the grandchild either in jail, stuck in a not home, call the police. foreign country, in an accident ... it doesn’t Do not send money. These thieves work out matter, but money needs to be sent immediof foreign countries, and you will never get ately. your money back. Generally a “Hi, grandma” is enough to convince a senior that it is indeed his or her Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot grandchild on the phone. Too many times the personally answer reader questions, but will grandparent doesn’t ask enough questions. incorporate them into her column whenAnd too often, thousands of times a year, the ever possible. Write to her in care of King grandparent will send the money ... to scammers. It’s not the grandchild on the line -- it’s Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to thieves. columnreply@gmail.com. Now there’s a new version of this scam. Not only do the thieves know the grandchild’s

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Tidbits® of the River Region

1. Since the major leagues expanded to 162 games in 1961, what was the earliest date that a team clinched a playoff spot? 2. Name the last Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher before Clayton Kershaw in 2011 to lead the N.L. in strikeouts for a season. 3. When was the last time before the 2010 season that Syracuse’s football team won a bowl game? 4. Name the only NBA team to improve on its record at least six consecutive years? 5. How many NHL seasons did Mike Modano play with the Minnesota/Dallas franchise? 6. Kevin Harvick set a record in NASCAR’s Truck series in 2012 for most laps led in a race. How many of the 250 laps did he lead? 7. When tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, how long had it been absent?

1. Is the book of Philemon in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. Lust, pride, anger, envy, sloth, avarice and gluttony are the seven “what”? Virtues, Horsemen, Archangels, Deadly sins 3. From John 3, who said, “How can a man be born if he is old”? Obadiah, Nicodemus, Joshua, Job 4) What was another name for the natural asphalt used to caulk Noah’s Ark? Gopher, Pitch, Chimera, Helios 5. From Acts 13, who was called “a man after thine own heart”? David, John the Baptist, Gideon, Peter 6. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through” what? Prayer, Belief, Deeds, Christ

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BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1) New; 2) Deadly sins; 3) Nicodemus; 4) Pitch; 5) David; 6) Christ

1. The New York Yankees clinched their division Aug. 29, 1998. 2. Hideo Nomo had 236 strikeouts in 1995. 3. It was the Insight Bowl after the 2001 season. 4. The Minnesota Timberwolves (199293 season through 1997-98 season). 5. Twenty seasons. 6. He led 248 laps. 7. Since 1924 -- 64 years.

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Tidbits® of the River Region

frigerated but taste best at room temperature. Before eating your cherries, let them sit out for about a half-hour. Mmmmm. * Dried lentils don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking like other dried beans. And they’re packed with protein. * Save the rubber bands from broccoli. You can put them around the body of a drinking glass so it will be less slippery as water condenses on it. * “I save the wrappers from my unsalted butter sticks in a baggie in my refrigerator. I use them to grease a pan when baking.” -- M.M. in Wisconsin * Corn is best cooked within a day or two of being picked, so farm-stand corn is the best. Add a little bit of milk to the cooking water, and it will bring out the natural sweetness. * Cherries are in season! Much like strawberries, they need to be kept re-

* “If you lose a contact lens and can’t find it right off, try turning out the lights and shining a flashlight across the ground. The lens might reflect the light and cause a flash. That will make it easier to find.” -- T.L. in Texas Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or email JoAnn at heresatip@yahoo.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.