Week 35 Tidbits of North Idaho by Sandy Sammons

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September 1, 2011

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Volume 2011- 35

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WHAT A CATCH! by Patricia L. Cook

Fishing is a favorite pastime of people all over the world. It also is a great way to feed your family. You’ve probably heard the proverb: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Let’s catch some fishy Tidbits!

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• Valentine’s Day 2011 was a big day for a fisherman from Vicksburg, Mississippi, who caught a 327-pound (148 kg), 8-foot, 5.25-inch (2.6 m) alligator gar while fishing at Chotard Lake. The huge fish, believed to be between 50 and 70 years old, was donated to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science to be prepared for a future display. The alligator gar is quite terrifying with two rows of sharp teeth. • That gar was big but not as big as the largest catfish ever caught. It was as big as a grizzly bear! The Mekong giant catfish, caught in the Mekong River in Thailand in 2005, was 9 feet long (2.7 m) and weighed 646 pounds (237 kg). It died as fishermen struggled for about an hour to capture it and became a tasty meal for the local villagers. turn to page 5 for more What a Catch!

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OVERCOMING THE ODDS:

ERIK WEIHENMAYER

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Born in Hong Kong on September 23, 1968, Erik Weihenmayer is an amazing athlete who has not only touched many people’s lives, he has touched the tops of the “Seven Summits.” This feat is ambitious for anyone but even more so for Erik, who lost his vision at age 13. • Weihenmayer was born with a degenerative eye disease called retinoschisis and started his young life with thick glasses and some limited vision. Shortly after totally losing his vision, he also lost his mother in a tragic car accident. His father, an exMarine, was determined to keep his family strong in spite of the tragedies they had to endure. He took his three teenage sons on mountain climbing trips all over the world, including Nepal, South America and India. • With his dad and brothers encouraging him, Weihenmayer persevered in spite of the difficulty. He has emerged today as a world-class athlete. He not only climbs mountains, he is a long-distance biker, acrobatic skydiver, marathon runner, skier, ice climber and rock climber. • Weihenmayer graduated from Boston College in 1991 and earned his master’s degree in education from Lesley College in 1993. He taught middle school for six years. He also served as wrestling coach. • On May 25, 2001, Weihenmayer reached the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, becoming the only blind man in history to accomplish such a feat. He didn’t stop there though! When he stood on top of Carstenz Pyramid, the tallest peak of Australia/Oceania, on August 20, 2008, he completed his quest to climb the “Seven Summits,” the highest mountains on each of the seven continents of the world. Fewer than 100 mountaineers are able to claim this accomplishment. • Thanks to his perseverance and persistence, Weihenmayer has not let his blindness keep him from accomplishing goals or leading an exciting and exhilarating life. • Through the years, Weihenmayer has accomplished much. He has been honored with numerous awards, including: induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Helen Keller Lifetime Achievement Award, Nike’s Casey Martin Award, an ESPY award, the Freedom Foundation’s Free Spirit Award and more. He also carried the Olympic Torch for the summer and winter games. • Today, Weihenmayer is a motivational speaker with a very busy schedule. When he is not on an outdoor adventure, he is encouraging others to find adventure and the courage to push their own limits. He is a follower when he needs to be but definitely a inspirational leader. “Leadership is contagious,” he said. “We pass it from body to body, from life to life, and we give all the people around us the courage to do great things.” • Weihenmayer’s first book, “Touch the Top of the World” has been published in six languages in 10 countries. It was made into a feature film in 2006. He co-authored a second book with Paul Stoltz, titled “The Adversity Advantage.” A film about Weihenmayer and a group of six blind Tibetan teenagers he lead up a 23,000-foot (7010 m) peak near Mount Everest was made into a movie in 2007, titled “Blindsight.”

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PICKS OF THE WEEK “Thor” (PG-13) -- The Norse god of thunder steps up to the plate for his turn at bat for Marvel superhero movies. The Scandinavian musclecake (played by Chris Hemsworth) hits it out of the park in terms of visual splendor and respect for the comics, but limps all the way to home plate when compared with the current standard for superheroes on film. Thor breaks the superhero mold in a few ways -- he’s never an Average Joe, his backstory is more otherworldly than familiar, and he doesn’t mount a war against crime, but rather he battles arcane and supernatural evil. True geeks must see “Thor” as a prerequisite to the upcoming Avengers movie that will tie together all of Marvel’s major releases from the past few years. More casual superhero fans can skip this middle-of-its-class flick and play catch up when it’s time for the big reunion. “Incendies” (R) -- Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this import is emotionally powerful and socially relevant. After the death of their mother, twins Jeanne and Simon are tasked with finding the father who they thought had died and the brother they never knew they had. The journey takes the siblings to the Middle East, where the rabbit-hole twists into a world of perpetual war and long-held hard feelings. The performances and pure tension make this a memorable and touching work. “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” (R) -- After the debacle over who should host “The Tonight Show” and his falling out with NBC, comedy writer and TV personality, Conan O’Brien, takes his act on the road. In this documentary of “The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour,” the gawky funnyman travels the country doing live performances and reflecting on his role in the comedy world.

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TOP TEN MOVIES 1. The Help (PG-13) Viola Davis, Emma Stone 2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) James Franco, Freida Pinto 3. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG) Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara 4. Conan the Babarian (R) Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols 5. Fright Night (R) Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell 6. The Smurfs (PG) Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays 7. Final Destination 5 (R) Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bella 8. 30 Minutes or Less (R) Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari 9. One Day (PG-13) Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess 10. Crazy, Stupid, Love (PG-13) Steve Carrel, Even for people who never stayed up late for a dose Ryan Gosling of Conan, “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” has plenty of chuckles and an interesting portrayal of somebody TOP TEN VIDEO, DVD as of August 29, 2011 who is utterly compelled to make people laugh. Top 10 Video Rentals 1. Rio (PG) animated BUYER BEWARE “Star Wars: The Original Trilogy” [Blu-ray] -- Enough 2. Paul (R) Simon Pegg time has passed since the last re-release, so we’re 3. Limitless (PG-13) Bradley Cooper apparently due for another Star Wars box set. 4. Your Highness (R) Danny McBride Though this latest batch contains only the original 5. Soul Surfer (PG) AnnaSophia Robb trilogy (episodes IV-VI), they are not Blu-ray ver- 6. The Lincoln Lawyer (R) Matthew McCosions of the old releases, but rather the very-altered naughey 2004 editions in Blu-ray format. These movies are 7. Rango (PG) animated riddled with annoying tweaks, awful updated spe- 8. Source Code (PG-13) Jake Gyllenhaal cial effects and re-touched or even re-shot footage 9. Insidious (PG-13) Patrick Wilson mixed in with the original films from the 1970s. In 10. Mars Needs Moms (PG) Seth Green short, they have all the charm and visual panache Top 10 DVD Sales of a fine work of modern art adorned with shiny 1. Rio (PG) (Fox) stickers and eraser burn. 2. Paul (R) (Universal) 3. Fox and the Hound II (G) (Buena Vista) 4. Soul Surfer (PG) (Sony) 5. Mars Needs Moms (PG) (Buena Vista) “Supernatural: The Complete Sixth Season” 6. Your Highness (R) (Universal) “The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Sea- 7. Jumping the Broom (PG-13) (Sony) son” 8. Rango (PG) (Paramount) “Glee: The Complete Second Season” 9. Source Code (PG-13) (Summit Entertain“It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Season 6” ment) “The Good Wife: The Second Season” 10. Tactical Force (R) (Vivendi Entertainment) “That ‘70s Show: Biggest Hits” “Mythbusters: Collection 7”

TV SERIES

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¥ It was revered American comedian Bill Cosby who made the following sage observation: “Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.” ¥ Here’s a disturbing statistic for parents: If your child is like the average American youth, between the ages of 5 and 15 he or she will see approximately 13,500 people killed on television. ¥ Most languages change dramatically over time. If we in modern America were to try to read “Beowulf” (which was written in Old English), for instance, only those who have spent time studying the language would be able to make out more than a word or two here and there. If you’re from Iceland, however, this isn’t the case; the written language there has remained virtually unchanged for more than 1,000 years. Modern Icelanders have no trouble reading sagas that were written in the 10th century. ¥ Relative to body size, humans -- unsurprisingly -- have larger brains than any other animal. Of nonhuman animals, it’s the bottlenose dolphin that has the largest brain. ¥ When Great Britain’s current Queen Elizabeth -then Princess Elizabeth -- wed Prince Philip, their wedding cake weighed a whopping 500 pounds. ¥ As legend has it, in 1288, when Dusseldorf, Germany, was granted its city charter, children all over the city began turning cartwheels for joy. The cartwheel has been an enduring part of the culture there ever since, and in 1937 the city even inaugurated an annual international cartwheel championship. ¥ Those who study such things claim that when you’re playing Monopoly, you’re likely to land on Illinois Avenue and the B&O Railroad more than on any other squares. *** Thought for the Day: “I always find it more difficult to say the things I mean than the things I don’t.” -- W. Somerset Maugham

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WHAT A CATCH! (continued):

• How would you like to see a school bus swimming in the waters near your boat? If you painted a whale shark yellow and put in some windows, that is about what you would see. Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the world. They can grow to more than 40 feet (12 m) in length and can weigh up to 30 tons (27 metric tons)! • Whale sharks swim in warm ocean waters mostly near the equator. However, they have been occasionally spotted as far north as the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada. Whale sharks swims with their mouths open. Those mouths can be up to 5 feet (1.5 m) wide — large enough to fit a small car inside! (Hmmm. Remember the Bible story of Jonah being swallowed by the big fish?) The world’s biggest fish actually prefers small food, mostly plankton, sardines and other small fish. Whale sharks have more than 3,000 teeth, smaller than fingernails. • Not as big as a whale shark, but to be feared more, is the bull shark. Bull sharks are very aggressive and can be found in freshwater as well as saltwater. They have been found in the Amazon and the Mississippi Rivers. They get their name from the fact that they head-butt their prey and have tough attitudes. • A fish that appears to have a grouchy attitude is the grouper. With its lower jar protruding in a nasty under-bite, this fish is not good looking but is very tasty. This relative of the sea bass is a healthy favorite with restaurants and home cooks. • The largest grouper on record caught with a rod and reel was pulled out of the water in Destin, Florida, on December 22, 1985. It weighed a whopping 436 pounds (198 kg)! • There are 162 species of grouper, with Red, Nassau and Black, being the most common in America. They have some really odd little “friends” that help them. Cleaner fish are tiny fish that swim inside a grouper’s mouth and eat the food that is trapped between the big fish’s teeth. Who needs a dentist?! • Grouper are bottom feeders, which means they typically swim and eat at the bottom of the water. Catfish are also bottom feeders. Some are even called “mudcats.”

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1. Between 2004 and 2009, the Angels won the A.L. West Division every year except one. Who else won it, and when? 2. How many times did Boston’s Ted Williams lead the American League in RBIs for a season? 3. Name the first University of Miami (Fla.) player to win the Lombardi Award for top collegiate lineman or linebacker. 4. Between 1986 and 1995, three players (Larry Bird, Craig Hodges, Mark Price) won a total of eight of the 10 NBA All-Star 3-Point Shootouts. Who won the other two? 5. When was the last time before the 2010-11 NHL season that at least three rookies had at least 30 goals in the same season? 6. Who has won more NASCAR Cup races: the Allisons (Bobby and Donnie) or the Waltrips (Darrell and Michael)? 7. Evonne Goolagong Cawley played in five Wimbledon singles finals between 1971 and 1980. How many did she win?

Have you ever walked through a spider web and had a hard time getting it off your clothes or out of your hair? Spiders’ webs have amazing strength. Some spiders spin silk that is considered to be the strongest fiber on earth: stronger than steel and stronger than Kevlar!

1. ANCIENT HISTORY: Who were the opponents in the Trojan War? 2. GEOGRAPHY: Which nation’s most important river is the Vistula? 3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president was the target of an attempted assassination in Sacramento, Calif.? 4. MUSIC: What was the full name of Bill Haley’s band, which recorded the hit “Rock Around the Clock”? 5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the book “Mary Poppins”? 6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: When did the war crimes trials at Nuremberg, Germany, begin? 7. FORMER NAMES: Where was the ancient kingdom of Cumbria located? 8. THE ARTS: Which one of the arts was Rudolf Nureyev’s claim to fame? 9. TELEVISION: What was the first name of TV detective Kojak? 10. MEASUREMENTS: How many hectares are in 1 square kilometer?

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1. Name the band that was the first to release the famous “Tequila” instrumental. 2. What was the follow-up song that Shelley Fabares released after her No. 1 hit “Johnny Angel”? 3. Which group wrote and released “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” and when? 4. What was Chicago’s first No. 1 hit single? 5. Name the big 1980 hit by Lipps Inc. 6. Who released “Black Velvet” in 1988? What’s the song about?

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1. The Champs, in 1958. The song won a Grammy. Numerous groups have covered “Tequila,” including Dr. Feelgood. 2. “Johnny Loves Me,” released in 1962 on her “The Things We Did Last Summer” album. It only reached No. 21 on the charts. 3. The Four Seasons, in 1975. Legend says the song was originally to be about Prohibition ending in 1933. 4. “Beginnings,” in 1971. The band didn’t have another hit until “Call On Me” in 1974. 5. Lipps Inc. (pronounced “lip sync”) scored No. 1 status all around the world with “Funkytown,” sometimes on multiple charts. 6. Alannah Myles. It’s said the song is about Elvis Presley and his many images being painted on black velvet. It charted around the world.

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1. The Greeks (Achaeans) and Troy 2. Poland 3. Gerald Ford 4. Bill Haley & His Comets 5. Pamela Lyndon Travers 6. 1945 7. England 8. Ballet 9. Theo 10. 100

• Way back in 1881, a physician in Tombstone, Arizona, named George Emery Goodfellow pulled a silk handkerchief from the breast pocket of a man who was shot in a gun battle. The doctor found two bullets inside the hanky. The silk handkerchief had stopped the bullets from entering the man’s body. Dr. Goodfellow was intrigued and began studying the strength of silk. • Kevlar is a manmade material discovered by scientists at DuPont in 1964. It is stronger than steel but expensive. It is used for military applications, like helmets and bulletproof vests, and many other everyday products, like tires. It has helped provide safety in areas where strength is important. • Kevlar is not metal, yet it is stronger than steel. According to Tucker Norton of DuPont, a spider web is even stronger. “If you look in a spider web, and if you just took one single strand of that spider silk, that strand is stronger than steel as well — a lot like Kevlar,” said Norton. “The problem is, we haven’t figured out how to make that commercially at a large scale.” • Spiders, eight-legged arachnids, and their ability to manufacture fragile-looking fibers that are poundfor-pound stronger than steel, have been studied for decades. The individual threads of spider silk are extremely strong. Scientists are amazed that spiders seem to be able to match tasks with the type of silk needed. • According to biologists from the University of California at Riverside, “A typical garden spider can spin seven different types of silks.” Researchers are hoping to figure out how to produce the silk that spiders produce someday, possibly by splicing the silk gene into plants that can be planted and harvested. • Currently Professor Randy Lewis at the University of Wyoming is splicing spider genes into goats and using the goat’s milk to come up with “goatgenerated, man-made spider silk.” This silk looks promising, but the original spider silk is still about 10 times stronger than what science has come up with. • Not only are the webs of spiders amazing when it comes silk strength, but spiders are very productive RUN YOUR OWN BUSI NESS? workers.WANT To seeTOthe awesome web work of “stretch” Publish a Pa per in Your Area spiders, or Tetragnatha, visit Lake Tawokoni State If You Can Provide: Sales Experience · A Computer · Park in Texas. Many of these spiders together Desktop Publishing Software · A Reasonable Financial work Investment We provide the opportunity success! to cover trees and other plants for with a massive spider web. While most of us are probably not apt to Call 1.800.523.3096 enjoy being toowww.tidbitsweekly.com close to the weird work, the park superintendent says it is one of the “best bug free areas in the park, acting as a giant mosquito net.”

1. Oakland won the A.L. West by four games over the Angels in 2006. 2. Four -- 1939, 1942, 1947 and 1949 (tied for the lead). 3. Warren Sapp, in 1994. 4. Dale Ellis in 1989 and Glen Rice in 1995. 5. In 2005-06, four rookies did it (Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Marek Svatos and Petr Prucha). 6. The Allisons had 94 victories, and the Waltrips had 88. 7. Two -- 1971 and 1980.

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WHAT A CATCH! (continued)

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• The 36th Annual World Catfish Festival was held in Belzoni, Humphreys County, Mississippi, on April 2 this year. This family event celebrates the catfish farming industry that started in the area in the 1960s. Since that time, U.S. catfish farming has grown tremendously. There are 466 million pounds (211,374 metric tons) processed annually. Of the 95,200 acres (38,526 ha) in the United States devoted to catfish farming, 64,000 acres (25,900 ha) are in Mississippi. About 95 percent of the farm-raised catfish in the United States is raised in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana. • Farm-raised catfish are not bottom feeders like wild catfish. They are raised in ponds of fresh water that are only 4 to 6 feet deep. The catfish are fed high protein feed pellets, made from soybean meal, corn and rice that float on top of the water. No. 1 in the South for many years, the popularity of catfish has spread across the country. With its consistent white meat and mild flavor, it is now the fifth most popular fish in America. • Some really strange nicknames are given to another fish that is a favorite on dinner tables. “Whales,” Soakers” and “Barn Doors” are monikers for large halibut. • Halibut the size of one caught in 2003 in the Bering Sea, west of Anchorage, Alaska, definitely deserve any of those nicknames. The giant was 8 feet, 2 inches (2.4 m) long and weighed an estimated 533 pounds (242 kg). Five people struggled to pull it in! • Halibut has firm, flaky snow-white meat. The fillets are called “fletches.” One halibut has four fletches. The real delicacies coming from halibut though are the “cheeks.” They, obviously, come from the head. • Halibut are from a group of mostly saltwater, bottom-dwelling fish called flatfish. When these fish hatch, their eyes are normally on each side of the head. After they grow a bit, one eye moves closer to the other, and the mouth twists until the eyes and mouth are on top. The underside of a flatfish is white, but the top may be brightly colored. Many flatfish can change colors to match their surroundings, making for good camouflage. Some other flatfish are sole, turbot and the oddlooking flounder. • We’ve saved what has become one of the bestselling catches for last in this Tidbits. Salmon has been growing in popularity, with many health reports sending it to the top of the charts for human consumption. It is considered one of the healthiest fish to eat: high in omega-3 essential fatty acids and protein and low in calories and saturated fat.

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