The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read
TIDBITS® HITSTHEROADON TIRES&RUBBER
byKathyWolfe
This week, Tidbits presents facts on the rubber meeting the road with the history of tires.
• Wooden wheels were devised around 3500 B.C., with leather bands wrapped around the wheel, which were later replaced with more durable metal bands.
• In 1839, American chemist Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered the vulcanization process when he unintentionally dropped a piece of sulfur-coated rubber onto the surface of a hot stove. Goodyear observed that the exposure to the stove’s high heat changed the properties of the rubber. He experimented with adding sulfur to the rubber, which made the rubber pliable, moldable, and waterproof. Goodyear called his heating process vulcanization after the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.
• Goodyear received a U.S. patent for his invention which would revolutionize the tire industry. For the next several years, Goodyear was plagued with court battles to defend his patent, while trying to set up factories in Europe. Legal technicalities led to him losing patent rights in England and France, and as his patents were constantly being infringed upon in the U.S., he piled up debts of $200,000. In 1860, at the age of 59, the brilliant inventor died broke. turn the page for more!
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TIRES & RUBBER (continued):
• After Goodyear’s invention, tires were made of solid rubber for several years. In 1845, everything changed with the debut of pneumatic, inflatable tires, invented by Scottish engineer Robert Thomson. However, he was unable to make them affordable, and it wasn’t until 1888 that another Scotsman, John Boyd Dunlop, created the first commercially practical pneumatic tire. However, they were only durable enough for bicycles. In 1911, another inventor, Philip Strauss, came up with a combination tire and air-filled inner tube that was successful on automobiles.
• Although the company bears his name, Charles Goodyear had nothing to do with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. It was founded 38 years after his death by two Akron, Ohio, brothers, Frank and Charles Seiberling, who had borrowed $3,500 from a relative to put a down payment on an abandoned factory. The factory opened in 1898, named in honor of the inventor of the rubber vulcanization process. The company opened a branch office in Detroit in 1907, the same year that Henry Ford purchased 1,200 sets of tires from them for use on his Model T. The Akron factory began operating 24 hours a day in 1911. Every car in the 1914 Indianapolis 500 used Goodyear tires
• By 1916, Goodyear was the world’s largest tire company, using the ad slogan, “More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind.” The company acquired its first rubber plantation in Sumatra and opened a second factory. By 1919, they had 30,000 employees.
• Benjamin Franklin Goodrich founded his company in 1870, manufacturing rubberized hoses sold mainly as fire hoses, and serpentine belts. He expanded to pneumatic bicycle tires, and finally to automobile tires in 1896. Goodrich was the first to produce pneumatic auto tires, and in 1903, Henry Ford chose Goodrich tires for the new Model AFord.
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TIRES & RUBBER (continued):
• In 1910, B.F. Goodrich began adding carbon black to the rubber, creating longer-life tires, improving tensile strength which made the tires more resistant to road wear, along with improving road grip. Carbon black blocks harmful UV rays that cause rubber to become brittle and crack. Tires that weren’t treated with carbon black could be driven 5,000 miles, but the new process increased that number to 50,000 miles. Prior to this procedure, tires were white since the natural color of rubber was a milky white. Goodrich purchased the carbon black from Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola crayons. The year 1946 brought the first tubeless automobile tire, patented by Goodrich, eliminating the need for an inner tube, improving performance, safety, and creating a more comfortable ride.
• The Michelin brothers, Andre and Edouard, founded their tire company in 1889 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where they’d been operating a farm implement business. When a cyclist wheeled in a pneumatic tire in need of repair, it took the brothers over three hours to remove and repair the tire, due to its being glued to the rim. This led to their creation of a tire that didn’t need to be glued to the rim, and a patent for a removable pneumatic tire. In 1946, Michelin was the first to patent a radial tire, one in which the cord plies were arranged at 90 degrees, radially from the center of the tire, providing better handling and improved fuel efficiency.
Dr. Bob Says…
TIRES & RUBBER
(continued):
• Harvey S. Firestone opened his tire and rubber factory in Akron in 1902 with 12 men. He debuted the first practical automobile tires, featuring a combination of rubber and fabric layers for improved strength and traction. Six years later, annual sales surpassed $1 million. In 1908, Firestone became the first to sell tires with non-skid tread patterns for enhanced traction. In 1926, the company purchased one of the world’s largest rubber plantations, over one million acres, in Liberia, West Africa. Disaster struck in 1941 when a fire at Firestone’s Fall River, Massachusetts facility destroyed five out its eight buildings, wiping out 15,000 tons of rubber. Damages were $12 million (over $190 million in today’s dollars.)
• Tires are made from far more materials that rubber, in fact, a typical tire might contain upwards of 200 different materials, including cobalt, titanium, steel, fiberglass, and Kevlar. Tires do have an expiration date. After five year, tires begin to experience a chemical reaction that can affect their safety. To check the manufacture date of your tires, look at the final four digits of the code on the tire. The first two digits show the week of the year, and the final two digits indicate the year of manufacture.
• If you purchase a brand new car, you may not receive a spare tire with the deal. Nearly 30% of new cars no longer include a spare with the purchase. You might receive a patch kit to temporarily fill the hole.
• In 1988, the Goodrich Corporation was sold to Michelin and the Bridgestone Corporation purchased Firestone. Michelin is the world’s largest tire manufacturer, followed by Bridgestone, with Goodyear in third place.
• Michelin’s company mascot is a humanoid figure made of stacked white tires. Named Bibendum, the Michelin Man is one of the oldest trademarks still in use. Bibendum is white because when he was introduced in 1894, tires were still white.
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Beer Cheese Soup: The Perfect Comfort for Crisp Autumn Days
As the days grow cooler and the leaves start to turn, there's nothing quite like a bowl of warm, velvety soup to welcome the comforting spirit of autumn. Few dishes perfectly capture the essence of cozy autumn nights like Beer Cheese Soup. With its creamy texture and rich blend of sharp cheddar and your favorite brew, this hearty soup is perfect for those cooler evenings when you crave something both satisfying and soul-warming.
Originating from the heart of Wisconsin, Beer Cheese Soup is also a fantastic dish for game day gatherings. Whether you're watching football with friends or hosting a casual weekend party, this soup is a crowd-pleaser that's quick to whip up and rich in flavor. The combination of aged cheese and beer delivers a deep, robust taste, while the creamy texture keeps it indulgent. What makes this soup even better is its simplicity. With just a few ingredients, you can create a restaurant-quality meal without breaking the bank. Pair it with a green salad, a warm loaf of crusty bread or pretzel rolls for a true comfort food experience.
WISCONSIN BEER
CHEESE SOUP
Yield: 8 servings
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
1 cup butter
1 cup onion, finely minced
1 cup celery, finely minced
1 cup carrots, finely minced
1 cup flour (all-purpose)
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 (12-ounce) bottle Pilsner-style beer (preferably flat)
3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated Salt and black pepper to taste Optional Garnish: chopped fresh parsley, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a fun traditional topping popcorn! In a 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter. Next, add the onions. Sauté until onions appear translucent. Add the carrots and celery. Stir into the onion mixture and sauté to soften the vegetables. Gradually add in the flour and stir into the vegetable mix until combined to make a roux. As you cook the flour and fat together, you'll notice the mixture transforming from a loose, grainy texture to a smooth paste-like consistency, hence "roux." Cook the roux for just a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Don't burn the roux! Stirring constantly, add the chicken stock to the roux 1 cup at a time. Make sure the cup of chicken stock is completely incorporated into the roux before adding the next cup. Repeat until all the chicken stock has been added. Stir constantly (to prevent scorching), until the soup base comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, then add mustard and beer, stirring to blend into soup. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the soup pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender (stick blender), puree the soup to achieve a nice velvety consistently. Alternatively, add the soup to a blender or food processor, in small batches. Use care, as the soup will be hot! When all the soup has been blended, return to the pot.
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Turn heat on to medium low and add the grated cheddar cheese one handful at a time. Stir the cheese until melted and blended with the soup. Add the Parmesan, then salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup bowls topped with parsley, more shredded cheddar and popcorn or croutons. So, as the season changes and you find yourself reaching for heartier, comforting dishes, let Beer Cheese Soup become a staple in your autumn menu. It's quick to make, easy on the budget and always a crowd-pleaser.
***
Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the pennypinching, party-planning, 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.
Creamy Beer Cheese Soup made with sharp cheddar and your favorite brew.
PHOTO CREDIT: www.JasonCoblentz.com
PEZ
Tidbits has a sweet treat for readers this week as we pass on these facts about one of our favorite confections, PEZ.
• In 1927, Austrian confectioner Edward Haas III sought a way to help people cut down on smoking, while freshening the breath at the same time. The result was a small round candy sold in a tin and named PEZ Drops. Haas devised the name from the German word for “peppermint,” “Pfefferminz,” taking the P from the first letter, E from the middle, and Z from the last. Shortly afterward, the shape of PEZ was changed into the brick shape we know today.
• Peppermint oil was an expensive commodity, used mainly in pharmacies. Production of peppermint-flavored products required boiling the components, resulting in a large waste of the oil as much of it evaporated in the heat. To combat this waste, the Haas chemists invented a method that employed a cold manufacturing process.
• Because customers wanted a way to grab a mint with one hand or to share with a friend without touching all the candies in the tin, in 1949, the company devised a small mechanical box for holding and dispensing 12 tablets that would fit in a pocket.
• PEZ was introduced to the United States in 1952, although all of the product was produced in Europe and exported toAmerica.
• By 1955, interest in PEZ as an aid to quit smoking had waned, and the company expanded to fruit-flavored varieties and began marketing to children, adding a Santa Claus and robot head to its dispensers. In 1957, the familiar PEZ dispensers with character heads became the norm, with a Halloween witch making its debut in the Fall of that year. The company expanded into licensed characters in 1958, with the introduction of a Popeye dispenser. Continued page #7)
How to photograph your pet
DEAR PAW'S COR-
NER: I've been trying to take a picture of my cat "Jess" all summer long. But every photo looks terrible. Do you have any tips for taking good pictures of pets? Taylor H., Taos, New Mexico
DEAR TAYLOR: Patience and practice are your best friends when trying to get a great shot of your pet. Cats aren't known for their tolerance of sitting in one pose for very long (especially when you're trying to force them into a pose), and even well-trained dogs can't stay in place too long. Study the techniques of good photography; you can look them up online. Composition is more important than the device you're using whether an expensive camera or your smartphone.
Incorporate these guidelines into your pet photography:
Opportunity: Rather than posing your pet, photograph them in their daily lives.
Eye level: Position the camera lens at the same level as your pet's eyes, rather than aiming down at them.
Focus: Make sure your device has a sharp focus on the pet's eyes. If the auto focus has trouble doing so, try angling slightly to one side so their snout isn't in the way.
Natural light: Turn off the auto flash and rely on natural light, like sunlight or a warmly lit room. This keeps pets relaxed and gives a nice glow to the image.
Background: Pay attention to what's behind your pet. An unscooped litter box behind Jess will really stand out when you're reviewing the photos.
Unusual angles: Playaround with different angles and perspectives when photographing your pet. Manywon't work, but you might be surprised at the ones that look amazing. Most important, have fun! Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
PEZ
(continued):
• Sales were increasing so rapidly in the United States, in 1973, construction began on a new warehouse and manufacturing facility in Orange, Connecticut.
• As more and more character heads were added, PEZ collecting became popular, and in 1991, the first PEZ collector convention was held. Those folks who collect the dispensers can determine the vintage by examining the bottom. In 1984, small tabs were added to the base, enabling it to stand upright. These “feet,” as collectors call them, aid in identifying the older ones. During the 1970s, PEZ dispensers with fruit heads were sold, designs that are worth about $1,000 for pears and $3,000 for pineapples. A Looney Tunes Foghorn Leghorn from 1980 fetched $7,000 in 2021. There are only two known 1961 PEZ dispensers of a political donkey, one of which sold for nearly $13,000 in 2013. The other one is on display at the company’s European corporate office.
• There have been about 1,400 different PEZ character heads over the years. Some can be found in the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, including a complete set of the Muppets dispensers.
• In 2011, the Orange, Connecticut factory opened the PEZ Visitor Center, a 4,000square-foot space devoted to the history of the fruity tablets, containing the world’s largest collection of dispensers, and containing a glass wall that allows visitors to view the production floor. All of the candies for the U.S. and Canada are manufactured there, about 12 million tablets a day, five days a week.
* With holidays on the way, money is getting tight in my household. This is a fun, creative way to save a bit of cash: Plan a no-spend weekend every month, where you don't spend any money on your activities. Challenge your children to help you plan it or take turns finding activities.
* "To keep my sharp kitchen scissors in the kitchen, I tied a long piece of yarn to the handle and attached it to the handle of the drawer that I keep them in. Now, those scissors get used in the kitchen, or nowhere!"
J.J. in Florida
* Remove scuff marks from hard-surface floors (wood, linoleum, tile) with a clean tennis ball. If your floor has many scuffs, you can poke a hole in the tennis ball and insert it on the top of your broom handle. When you hit a scuff, flip your broom over and rub. Most come off right away!
* "Buy pretty dishtowels and tablecloths on clearance and clip them on curtain rods for a
quick window treatment."
T.C. in Texas
* This is a great, natural solution for tightening your facial pores, and it feels wonderful on tired skin, too. Start by brewing a cup of rosehip tea and pouring it into an ice-cube tray to freeze. When it's all frozen, take out a cube. Wrap it inside of a washcloth, and wet just the spot where the cube is. Then rub it over your face.
* "My kids use rewards charts for chores and good behavior, etc. I used to get some little toys at the dollar store for rewards, but I ended up at the local thrift store one day and noticed that there was plenty of nice small toys that were actually cheaper than at the dollar store! Plus, these nice things are getting one more use, and that's good for the environment, too!" A.K. in Pennsylvania
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