TidbitsMOV Issue #1249 The Voice

The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read™

TIDBITS® Listens To THE VOICE by

Janet Spencer

Where would civilization be if not for the human voice? Come along with Tidbits as we learn to talk!

IT’SAFACT

• A baby in the womb can recognize their mother’s voice by 25 weeks of development. Babies prefer their mother’s voice over all others when they’re born.

VOICE FACTS

• The human voice originates from the larynx, a small organ made of cartilage and flesh in our throats. It’s also called the voice box. It sits on top of the windpipe. Inside are two flaps of skin called the vocal cords. To speak, sing, or hum, the vocal cords are stretched taut, vibrating at an incredible speed.

• The sound varies in pitch according to how loose or tight the vocal cords are. The tighter the cords, the less air passes through, and the higher the pitch. The length of the vocal cords also matters: longer vocal cords produce lower sounds (men), and shorter cords produce higher tones (women). Children have high voices because they have short vocal cords.

• Vocal cords are less than a half-inch long at birth and grow to about an inch over time.

• Like fingerprints, each person’s voice is unique, making voice recognition technology possible. (cont)

Of The Mid-Ohio Valley

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VOICE FACTS (cont)

• When you’re not speaking, the vocal cords relax and separate, allowing air to pass freely through and regulating airflow to the lungs. They also prevent food from going down the trachea instead of the esophagus.

• To produce a simple phrase, about 100 muscles in the chest, neck, jaw, tongue, and lips must work together.

• In an average conversation, the vocal cords vibrate, closing and opening 100 times per second or more. The rate of vibration increases when singing. It’s easy to feel what’s going on by wrapping your hand around your throat and saying, “ssssssZZZZZZssssssZZZZZZ.”

• Speaking a single word such as “Hello” can relay much information, showing how the speaker feels through tone and intensity.

• In everyday speech, people speak at an average rate of 60 words per minute (one word per second) or double that if they’re excited. The world’s fastest talker is Canadian Sean Shannon, who earned the world record in 1995. His feat was reciting Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” soliloquy “To Be, Or Not To Be” in just 23.8 seconds. The speech has 260 words, meaning he spoke at a rate of 655 words per minute, around 11 words per second.

• The average human vocal range spans about three and a third octaves, or about 40 notes. Most songs cover around 1.5 octaves. Like height or eye color, vocal range is primarily determined by genetics, though it may change during sickness or in old age.

• A man can typically sing a sustained note for about 20 seconds, and a woman can do it for about 15 seconds. The world record for holding a note belongs to Richard Fink, who sang a continuous note at the required decibel level without taking a breath for 2 minutes, 1 second in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2019.

In this issue of TidbitsMOV our girl Tammy Tidbits is hiding

Find her and enter the weekly contest, please send us a message including your name, Postal mail address the issue number you are referring to and which ad is hosting Tammy for the week! Visit www.tidbitsmov.com or send the answer with the above information to alan@tidbitsmov.com OR you may send us a private message to our Facebook page - Tidbits MOV. PLEASE do not post the answer directly to the page - that ruins the fun for everyone. All winners will be drawn randomly from correct responses and will be posted weekly. As with all our contests, though you are welcome to play every week, you are only eligible for one winner per household per month.

Judy C from Marietta OH Found Tammy In Issue 1246

VOICE FACTS (cont)

• The human voice is sorted into categories based on pitch, ranging from soprano to bass.

• Soprano comes from the Latin “supra,” meaning “above.”

• “Mezzo” is Latin for “middle” for mezzo soprano.

• The Latin “altus” means “high” giving us alto.

• The Italian “contra” means “against or opposite” so a contralto is “the next voice after alto.”

• Countertenor also comes from “contra” meaning “the voice next to tenor.”

• The Latin “teneō” means “I hold” and refers to the one who holds the melody.

• Baritone originates with the Greek “barytonos" meaning “deep-toned.”

• The Latin “bassus” means "short, low" for bass

• Falsetto is the diminutive form of the Italian “falso” meaning “false” and denotes a “false voice.”

• The baritone range is the most common for men, whether speaking or singing. For women, mezzo-soprano is most common.

• Researcher Sarah Collins from the Dutch University of Leiden had 34 men say various vowels out loud for a study done in 2000, while she recorded them on tape. She played the recordings to a group of women individually, asking them to rate the men according to their weight, height, age, and attractiveness based solely on these recorded vowel sounds. The women were unable to gauge any of these qualities reliably. However, one thing made clear during this study was that women consistently voted the men with the deepest voices as being the most attractive – whether or not they were in real life. (cont)

VOICE FACTS (cont)

• The “A” note, which is about in the middle of a piano keyboard, resonates at 440 Hertz (Hz). An octave higher and it resonates at 880 Hz. An octave lower and it’s 220 Hz.

• A typical human can hear frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

• The average spoken language is around 250 Hz, up to 300 Hz for a child. A woman’s high-pitched scream can hit 3,000 Hz.

• An average man can sing a low note of about 60 Hertz; an average female soprano can sing a high note up to about 1200 Hz.

• American singer Tim Storms holds the world record for the lowest note ever sung by a human. His lowest recorded note hit an incredible 0.189 Hz. That’s eight octaves below the lowest G on a piano, and is so low that humans can’t hear it, although elephants can. It was recorded and verified on a special lowfrequency microphone in 2012. He also holds the record for the largest vocal range of any singer, with a ten-octave reach.

• By contrast, the record for the lowest note sung by a woman is 34.21 Hz, set by Canadian singer Joy Chapman in 2021.

• Singer Georgia Brown of Brazil holds the record for the greatest female vocal range with an eight-octave reach. Singer Mariah Carey, renowned for her range, reportedly can only sing in five octaves.

• Is it possible to shatter glass with just the voice? To start with, the singer would need to be singing at the exact pitch that matches the glass's resonant frequency, making it vibrate the most. That’s usually in the range of C above middle C. Then, the singer would need to be extremely loud. During a segment on the TV show “Mythbusters,” one singer hit the right note and sang it at the decibel level of a jackhammer, but only managed to break one out of 12 glasses that he attempted to shatter.

Up Your Dinner Game With Hawaiian Style Comfort Food: Loco Moco

There's a special charm in reinventing the familiar. Take Loco Moco, for instance a delightful fusion of flavors that reimagines the humble hamburger patty into a delicious cultural mashup.

Loco Moco embodies the multicultural tapestry of Hawaii. Its components bed of fluffy rice from Asian cuisine, a sizzling hamburger patty crowned with a sunnyside-up egg from American diners and gravy reminiscent of European sauces symbolize the diverse influences that shape Hawaiian cuisine.

Don't let its delectable flavors fool you; Loco Moco is the epitome of simplicity, offering a quick, wallet-friendly solution for those hectic weeknight dinners. With just a handful of affordable ingredients and minimal prep time, this flavorful masterpiece proves that delicious dining doesn't have to be complicated or costly.

LOCO MOCO

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 35 minutes

What You'll Need:

1 pound ground beef, at least 15 to 20% fat

1 medium Maui or sweet onion, peeled (1/4 of the onion chopped; 3/4 sliced)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)

2 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups cooked white rice

4 eggs, fried, sunny side up or over easy Green onions, sliced, for garnish Here's How:

Let's start with the onion. Be sure you chop a quarter of the onion and slice the rest.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt and pepper. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Shape this into 4 (1/2 inch) patties. Pop those on a plate and stick them in the fridge.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it's hot, add the sliced onion and begin sauteing. You want the onion to be translucent. Stir them occasionally and saute for about 5 minutes. Now, reduce the heat to low and continue to saute the onion as it gets soft and begins to caramelize, about 7 more minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl and keep warm. Next, retrieve the patties and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Bump the heat back up to medium. Once it's hot, carefully add the patties to the pan and cook them until browned, around 4 minutes per side. Transfer the patties to a platter and keep warm. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to the pan and saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Get your second skillet warming to begin frying the eggs. You'll have to do two things at once. If you are also walking and chewing gum, I suggest you stop immedi-

ately and focus.

Now, everybody in the pool! Return the onions to the pan along with the beef broth, soy sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and whisk until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

You should be cooking over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs by now.

Place the patties into the skillet to get all cozy and warmed back up.

To serve: On each plate place 1 cup cooked rice with one patty, a fried egg, then the gravy, topped with green onion.

"E 'ai kakou!" (Let's eat!)

***

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, partyplanning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com (c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc. Get ready to dive into this Loco Moco

the purchase of a pair of Widex SmartRIC 440 or 330 hearing aids. Expires 6/30/24

Beautiful Body BELLY BUTTON

• The belly button is the remnant of the place where the umbilical cord connects a baby to the placenta. The word “umbilical” springs from the Latin word meaning middle or center, originally referring to a scroll’s ornamental end.

• Every mammal with a placenta also has a belly button: elephants, dolphins, bats. Some mammals may have a very faint belly button, including the platypus, which lays an egg, and marsupials, where the cord falls off while the baby is still in the pouch.

• Birds and reptiles, while not being mammals, also have a faint belly button that marks the spot where they were once attached to an egg yolk. Even dinosaurs had belly buttons.

• The human umbilical cord forms in the 2nd month of gestation. Four things are running through it: a vein that brings oxygen and nutrients to the baby; an artery taking waste away from the baby; a duct that turns into the intestinal tract; and a tube that develops into the bladder.

• Blood moves through the umbilical cord at around 4 mph (6.5 km/h). At full term, about a quart (1 l.) of blood flows through the umbilical cord every minute.

• After birth, the umbilical cord is clamped before being cut. The belly button forms when the stump of the cord dries up and falls off. It’s a baby’s first scar. The difference between the innie and the outie is not due to the doctor tying the umbilical cord wrong, or cutting it differently. It’s simply a matter of how the skin grows around the cord. If there is less skin, it folds inward making an innie; if there is more skin, it folds outward to make an outie. Often, a baby has an outie at first that turns into an innie later on. Plastic surgery can improve the appearance of a belly button after reaching adulthood. (Continued page #7)

How long is too long to leave pets at home?

DEAR PAW'S CORNER:

My neighbor across the hall confronted me yesterday, accusing me of mistreating my dog. She said that "Cookie" whines and barks for hours whenever I am gone, and that I need to take him with me rather than leave him alone in the apartment. I work full -time at an office that doesn't allow dogs. When I travel, I take Cookie to a sitter. But is 8 to 10 hours away too long for a dog?

Gerald in Brooklyn

DEAR GERALD: Dogs aren't always happy about their owners going away for 8 hours a day. They can develop separation anxiety. This can manifest as nonstop barking, whining or even acting out (like destroying your slippers, pooping in the living room or worse).

Try counterconditioning, a training method recommended by the ASPCA in its article "Separation Anxiety." Each time you leave home, give your dog a treat or a puzzle toy with treats inside (which will keep him occupied for several minutes). When you get home, put the toy out of sight. The idea is that Cookie will associate your leaving with an enjoyable treat.

You can also desensitize him to your leaving by getting Cookie used to your "departure cues." For example, if you always put on a coat and pick up your keys when you leave, have a training session where you do the same thing, but then sit down and watch TV instead of leaving. You'll need to do this (and probably other moves) for several weeks, but it could help. These are very basic training exercises, and you may need to incorporate additional training. Check out the article on www.aspca.org, talk to Cookie's vet and consider working with a professional trainer to help curb his anxiety. Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

BELLY BUTTON (cont)

• Just like fingerprints, no two belly buttons are alike.

• Around 90% of humans have “innie” belly buttons and 10% have “outies.”

• In a survey, oval belly buttons were voted most attractive. The outie was least attractive.

• A pregnant woman’s stomach protrudes so much that an innie often temporarily turns to an outie, reverting after the baby is born.

• In 2011, researchers studied the bacteria that live in the human navel. They asked 60 volunteers to swab their belly buttons. The bacteria was cultured and the DNA was analyzed. Called the Belly Button Biodiversity project, researchers found about 2,300 different strains of bacteria in the navels of the 60 participants.

• The average person has about 67 types of bacteria in the navel. Some of the strains were completely unknown to science. Just eight of those species were frequent and abundant across the individuals sampled (they were present in more than 70% of people). The rest of the species were rare, often appearing in just a single navel. Furthermore, not a single type of bacteria was found in all 60 people. Each person had their own unique “fingerprint” of belly button flora. In November 2012, the team published their findings in a paper called “A Jungle in There: Bacteria in Belly Buttons are Highly Diverse, But Predictable.

• The town of Shibukawa in Japan is referred to as the belly button of the country because of its location in the center of the country. Townfolk capitalize on this by throwing a Bellybutton Festival every year in late July. Participants paint faces on their torsos, with the belly button as the mouth. A kimono and a large hat hide the rest of the body. There are contests, parades, food, souvenirs, and festivities.

Feed YOUR MIND!

Read Tidbits®

* "Keep frosting looking glossy ... with your hair dryer. Before guests come over, give the whole cake a once over holding the hair dryer about 7-10 inches away from the frosting and set on high. It will soften the frosting, giving the cake a just-made look."

R.L. in California

* Clean out hard-water stains and mineral deposits on your showerhead with this trick: Fill a zip-lock baggie halfway with warm vinegar. Immerse your showerhead in the baggie and secure it to the pipe with a rubber band. Let it hang for an hour or so, then release the bag and scrub the showerhead with a soft toothbrush.

* "There are so many different ways to pay bills these days that it can be hard to keep track of bills that need to be mailed. Here's a great way to keep track of when to pay a bill so that it always gets there on time: I used to write the due dates of my bills on my calendar. Now I write the pay

by date for each bill on the calendar. For bills that go in the mail, I write a date that's a week ahead of when it is due. For bills that are paid online, I write a date three days ahead of the due date, and for automatic payments, I deduct the money from the paycheck BEFORE the draft is made. Now I never miss a due date."

T.F. in Indiana * Change your air filter to save money. Be sure to change it once a month to keep your air conditioner working at its most efficient.

* You might not have a blackboard in your home, but keep a clean blackboard eraser around to get streaks off of freshly cleaned windows. It works really well in the car, too!

Send your tips to Now Here's a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.