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IN THE BLACK

by Kathy Wolfe The word “black” doesn’t mean just an object’s color — It has cultural and psychological meanings as well. This week, Tidbits explores a variety of areas where we see both the color and the word.

rays from the visible light spectrum. Rather, they absorb the frequencies of all color pigments. The presence of all primary colors creates black. The absence of these results in white. a black cat crosses our path, bad luck is on the way. However, in Great Britain and Ireland, that feline is a symbol of good luck. The Scots even believe that a black cat near their house means prosperity is imminent. The Japanese also look upon it as good luck, and that ladies who own one will have many suitors. The route — If it crosses your path from right to left, it’s a bad omen, while a left to right course

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Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena!

To Your Good Health

By Paul G Donohue M.D.

Little League Elbow Is Overuse Injury DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 12-year-old son is something of a phenomenon when it comes to baseball, and he loves playing the game. I haven’t pushed him into it. He’s a particularly awesome pitcher, and his coaches are amazed at what he can do.

I practice with him every day. He now has a sore elbow in his pitching arm. I think it might be Little League elbow. My wife blames me, because, she says, I overwork him. I need some guidelines on how much throwing is too much. Thanks. -- R.C. ANSWER: The elbow is a site that’s a potential calamity for the immature skeleton. Children have vulnerable spots in their bones called growth plates.

These bone parts haven’t yet become bone. They permit elongation of bones. One of those sites is the elbow.

To make sure we’re talking about the same thing, let the boy’s throwing arm hang down with his palm facing forward. Feel the area of the elbow next to the body. That’s where Little League elbow makes itself known.

It’s an overuse injury, meaning the boy is throwing too many pitches with too little rest. The incidence of elbow pain in young baseball players is quite high -- 20 percent to 40 percent. It can be avoided with a sensible program that limits the number of throws per day.

First, your son should not throw until the pain leaves.

Then he can resume throwing, but gradually do so.

Eventually he can work up to the Little League’s standards for pitching for 12-year-olds. If a boy or girl of this age throws 66 pitches in one game, the child needs four days of rest -- no throwing; if it’s 51 to 65 pitches, three days of rest are required; 30 to 50 pitches, two rest days; 21 to 35 pitches, one rest day.

In practice, he should be limited to 20 pitches if he throws daily. It he throws more, he should follow the schedule for the number of pitches thrown in a game.

If your boy’s pain lasts a week, have the family doctor examine him. If he really has Little League elbow, healing can take six to 12 weeks. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you kindly tell me what is the appropriate time interval for a repeat colonoscopy? I have different information from doctors. I had my first colonoscopy when I was 51.

The doctor who performed it said I didn’t need another until I was 61. A different doctor says I need a repeat at 56. Which is it? -- E.P. ANSWER: If no polyps were found on your first exam and if you have no close relatives who have had colon cancer, then the usual time for the next exam is 10 years. Otherwise, it is five years.

The booklet on colon cancer explains its detection and treatment. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 505W, 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.

High Court Sides With Phony Heroes I imagine the phonies and wannabes are chuckling up their sleeves right now. No longer do they have to worry (if they ever did) about getting caught lying about their alleged military service or medals earned.

The Supreme Court has deemed that it’s just hunkydory to lie about those things, and they struck down the Stolen Valor Act. The Stolen Valor Act made it a crime for people to say they’d earned a medal in the military or that they’d served when they hadn’t. Didn’t matter whether the lie was put in writing or just stated to one or more people -- it was a crime under the Act. The Supremes bent over backward, it appears, to find reasons to overturn the Act. They chose to lean heavily on the “free speech” aspect, deciding that it was an infringement, and that it’s just fine to lie and claim earned medals and service.

There is one clause in the court decision that leaves some slightly open doors: that it’s possible “to achieve the Government’s objective in less burdensome ways.”

The way I read this, if a bill can be drafted that couches the problem in a slightly different way, perhaps the same objective can be reached: nailing those who lie about medals or service.

If you agree, pick up the phone and call your congressional representatives. With enough pressure, someone somewhere will draft another version of the Act. If you need incentive, Google the images of “Xavier Alvarez” and take a look at him wearing a chest full of medals he didn’t earn. Read about his claims to a room full of people that he was a 25-year Marine Corps veteran, a helicopter pilot who rescued POWs in Vietnam and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He never even served.

IN THE BLACK (continued): • To the Japanese, black is the symbol of nobility, age and wisdom. Contrast this with their view of white, which represents serfdom, youth and naïveté. In light of this, they award the black belt in martial arts as a symbol of achievement and seniority, as a sign that the individual has “blended the mind and body into one, into a unity within oneself and with the universe.”

• Black History Month has been officially observed since 1976, when President Gerald Ford called on all Americans to recognize February as a time to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

• The ancient Aztecs viewed black as the color of war because black obsidian glass was used to make the cutting edges of their battle swords. Black also represented the institution of religion, because their priests wore only black.

• Traditionally, musicians in the orchestra pit wear black attire. This is not only because of the formal look, but more so, not to draw attention away from those performers on stage.

• The wearing of black clothing while in mourning dates back to the Roman Empire in the western world. However, in Japan, the color of mourning is white.

• In the field of astronomy, a black dwarf is a star that has burned out, while a black hole is an area in space created from a collapsed giant star that has run out of fuel. Matter and light cannot escape the intense gravitational pull of a black hole, the weight of which is estimated at a million times as much as the sun.

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Zucchini Ham Pasta Salad When the temperature and the heat index create readings of 100 in the shade, you definitely need a plan of action for supper that doesn’t add to the problem. Bring this to the supper table and see if you don’t become an instant hero!

1 1/2 cups cold cooked rotini pasta, rinsed and drained 1 cup chopped unpeeled zucchini 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 3/4 cup fat-free Ranch dressing 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise 1/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups diced 97 percent fat-free ham In a large bowl, mix Ranch dressing, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Add rotini pasta, zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms. Mix well to combine. Stir in Cheddar cheese and ham. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Gently stir again just before serving. Serves 6 (1 full cup each). „ Each serving equals: 151 calories, 3g fat, 7g protein, 24g carb., 557mg sodium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 Meat, 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable.

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www.hoovertacticalfirearms.com 1. Is the book of Malachi in the Old or New Testament or neither?

2. From Song of Solomon 1, what does the Shulamite say the rafters to her house are made of? Cedar, Fir, Sackcloth, Vines 3. Who wrote a letter to Felix concerning Paul? King Darius, John, Claudius Lysias, Peter 4. In the new creation, the wolf shall feed with the ... ? Children, Fishes, Lamb, Ox 5. What did Noah begin to be after the flood? Husbandman, Shepherd, Carpenter, Teacher 6. 1 Peter 5 compares Satan to what animal? Serpent, Roaring lion, Beheaded calf, Horse

IRS Warns About Tax Refund Scam

The Internal Revenue Service began warning in 2007 that fake emails were being sent out that appeared to have come from the IRS. Those emails have gone through various incarnations over the years. Some claimed that the email recipient was under investigation by the criminal division. Another claimed the recipient could receive money for filling out a customer satisfaction survey. Another version was a “Where’s My Refund” email.

The IRS scam must be lucrative, because it’s still going on. A new incarnation involves sending a refund to the recipient.

All versions of the scams have one thing in common: They want your personal information.

The IRS has set up web pages designed to handle phishing, which is an attempt to get your personal information. They say, in bold letters: “The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or any social media tools to request personal or financial information.”

That’s key to remember, not only if you receive email that appears to be from the IRS, but email from anywhere. If you haven’t given out your email address to the IRS, a bank, retail stores or online stores, you won’t receive email from them ... unless it’s fake.

If you receive email from, say, an online store, don’t open it. If you open it, don’t download any attachment because it likely contains a virus. Don’t click on any links because they’ll take you to sites that will either

download a virus onto your computer or solicit your personal information.

Even if a link looks genuine, as did the one in the IRS letter above, be suspicious. (The link in the IRS letter went to Russia.) Mouse over the link and hold the cursor above it.

Depending on your email software, it’s possible that the real email address will show up.

Become familiar with domain name extensions. Dot com (.com) is a common one around the world. But countries have designations as well. The hidden address in the IRS letter was “.ru” -- Russia. Other countries known for a proliferation of scammers are: Nigeria (.ng), Philippines (.ph) and Ghana (.gh).

For more information, go to the IRS site at irs.gov and put “phishing” in the search box. You’ll get 187 files on that topic.

Page 4

Tidbits® of Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster & Helena!

IN THE BLACK (continued): • Old-fashioned black licorice gets its flavor from the root of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant, a legume related to beans. But the candy’s color comes from the addition of molasses to the batch, not from the licorice plant’s extract.

• There was the “Man in Black” and there were “Men in Black.” Country music icon Johnny Cash earned his nickname by wearing his trademark black clothing, including a long knee-length coat, differing from his country counterparts who dazzled in rhinestone suits. Cash said he wrote his 1971 hit “Man in Black” on behalf of the “poor and beaten down” and “the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,” as well as soldiers killed in Vietnam, “the lives that could have been.” But initially, Cash and his band mates wore black shirts because it was the only matching color shirt they all had! The first “Men in Black” movie premiered in 1997; it was a science fiction comedy about a secret agency that monitors alien activity in New York City. Clint Eastwood was chosen to play the lead character, but after he turned it down, Tommy Lee Jones was put in the role opposite Will Smith. Smith didn’t want the role of “J,” but his wife talked him into taking it. A sequel came along in 2002, and MIB III opened in the spring of 2012.

• More tea drinkers sip black tea than any other type; it equals 90 percent of total tea consumption. Although black, oolong, green and white teas all come from the same shrub, black tea is more oxidized than the other three. Green tea undergoes minimal oxidation during processing, and white tea is made with no fermentation whatsoever. White tea has the least caffeine, just

1 percent of what a cup of coffee contains. Black tea contains 20 percent of coffee’s caffeine.

• If you’ve been denied a particular privilege or recognition, you’ve been blacklisted.

The term also applies to those who have been rejected from work in a certain field, or one who has been ostracized from elite social circles. The word dates back to the 1600s, when England’s King Charles II compiled a list of 58 judges who had sentenced his father Charles I to death.

When Charles II regained the throne 11 years later, 13 of those on his “blacklist” were executed, 25 were sentenced to life in prison, and the remainder escaped.

• Some clubs hold secret ballots to determine whether an individual should be admitted.

Those who vote against the person’s admittance “blackball” him.

• If you’re bitten by a member of the Latrodectus genus, most likely you won’t die.

Although the venom of the black widow spider is quite potent, it usually only results in muscle aches, nausea or difficulty breathing, although it can be fatal to small children. And the spiders generally bite only in self-defense, for example, when a person sits on them. The female, famous for consuming the male after mating, is more than twice the size of her mate and has venom three times more potent. She can grow up to about 1.5 inches (37 mm). Not every female will have the trademark red hourglass on the abdomen — Sometimes there are two red spots, sometimes no markings at all. The male can often exhibit the hourglass as well, although its marking is usually yellow or white.

1. MOVIES: What was Indiana Jones’ real first name in Steven Spielberg’s movie series?

2. LANGUAGE: What is a raincoat called in English slang?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the largest European country where people still drive on the left?

4. MUSIC: What rock band included musicians Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner?

5. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of flamingos called?

6. COMICS: What is the name of Jeremy’s brother in the comic strip “Zits”?

7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What former first lady appeared in a margarine commercial on television?

8. LITERATURE: In “The Polar Express,” what present did the boy ask Santa Claus to give him?

9. ENTERTAINERS: Comedian Minnie Pearl used to wear a trademark hat with a price tag hanging from it. What was the amount on the tag?

10. ASTRONOMY: Which planet in our solar system has a large red spot on it?

“You’re going to laugh your ass off. I think IFC bought the film. It’s a dark comedy centering on this guy I play (Pete Cozy), who gives up his dreams of being a music A&R guy. He moves to the suburbs of Long Island and accepts a marketing job at a small chain of grocery stores. He has a wife and a child, and is trying to pursue the ÔAmerican Dream.’

“Parker Posey’s character, Susan, is put in charge of this Q: Please tell me if “Sanctuary” will be back with section of grocery stores. Nobody in the office cares about new episodes in Syfy. -- Marlies W., via email his job. Susan comes in and shakes everyone’s universe A: Syfy announced in May that the science-fiction up. She is so quintessential Parker Posey. She is brilliant, drama would not return for a fifth season. Series and she’s so funny. It’s a lot of fun.” star Amanda Tapping took to Twitter to address the *** show’s cancelation: “To all the fans of Sanctuary, Q: Now that “Desperate Housewives” is over, what will we love and adore you. Thank you for the love and Marc Cherry do next? -- Miranda T., via e-mail support.”

A: Marc Cherry has never been one to gather moss, so his *** rolling stone is heading to Lifetime, where he’s developed Q: I loved seeing Eric Mabius on “Franklin and Bash” a new series called “Devious Maids.” Originally developed earlier this year, and I wondered what else I can see for ABC, Lifetime will air the series in 2013, and it will him in? -- Jeanna M., Baltimore star Ana Ortiz, Judy Reyes, Roselyn Sanchez, Grant Show, A: Aside from recently starring in the Hallmark Mariana Klaveno and Susan Lucci.

Channel movie “How to Fall in Love” and making To piggyback off an idea I got from Annie Potts when I a guest-starring turn on “The Client List,” he cointerviewed her earlier this year, I think Lifetime would stars with indie queen Parker Posey in the Sundance be remiss if they didn’t see the potential of grabbing up Festival hit “Price Check.” When I spoke with Eric the recently canceled ABC show “GCB” and pair it with recently, he told me all about the movie.

“Devious Maids.” As Annie told me: “If we were paired

¥ On July 31, 1715, a hurricane strikes the east coast of Florida, sinking 10 Spanish treasure ships carrying tons of gold and silver coins and killing nearly 1,000 people. About 80 percent of the treasures was recovered within a year, but the rest remained lost until the 1960s. ¥ On Aug. 5, 1858, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean is completed. Four British and American vessels met in mid-ocean and successfully laid 2,000 miles of cable, often at a depth of more than 2 miles. ¥ On Aug. 3, 1861, the last entry of Charles Dickens’ serialized novel “Great Expectations” is published.

Dickens’ father was thrown in debtors’ prison in 1824, and 12-year-old Charles was sent to work in a factory.

The miserable treatment of children and the institution of the debtors’ jail became topics of several of Dickens’ novels. ¥ On Aug. 2, 1876, “Wild Bill” Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, S.D. Hickok was playing cards with his back to the saloon door when a young gunslinger named Jack McCall walked into the saloon, approached Hickok from behind, and shot him in the back of the head. ¥ On Aug. 4, 1944, Jewish German-born Anne Frank and her family, who had been hiding in German-occupied Holland, are found by the Gestapo and transported to various concentration camps. The young girl’s diary of her time in hiding was found after her death and published in 1947 as “The Diary of Anne Frank.” ¥ On July 30, 1976, American Bruce Jenner wins gold in the decathlon at the Montreal Olympics and sets a world record in the event. After his win, Jenner was voted the 1976 AP Male Athlete of the Year. The 1976 Olympics was his last decathlon. ¥ On Aug. 1, 1981, MTV, the Music Television network, makes its maiden broadcast with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The roughly 80 different videos that made up that first week’s rotation on MTV probably represented nearly every promotional music video then available.

with ‘Devious Maids,’ we’d have the great American equivalent of ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ -- the rich and righteous in Dallas and the maids of Beverly Hills.

What network executive wouldn’t see home run written all over that?” *** Q: Will there be a “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie? -Tina T., Sarasota, Fla. A: Universal Studios and Focus Features bought the rights to the “Fifty Shades” trilogy in March, and have brought “The Social Network” producers Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti on board to help bring the runaway-hit book to the big screen. There is no word yet on casting or a release date. marriage to Johnny Cash. he wants to return to the old neighborhood and take over Sullivan & Son.

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Baby, It’s Hot Outside High summer temperatures can take a toll on seniors. Our circulation isn’t what it used to be. Add in some of the drugs we take that might have a diuretic effect, and dehydration can be a potential danger.

The trick is to stay hydrated -- and cool.

Staying hydrated means to drink enough water. Other drinks don’t count because sugar and caffeine drinks can be dehydrating in themselves. If you leave the house, take a water bottle with you. Ask your doctor how much you should drink per hour during heat waves, and follow his advice to make sure there is no conflict with any medication you’re on. Set a timer if you need to remember when to drink more water.

If you have air conditioning, use it. If you have fans, use those. If you don’t have fans, call your local fire department (on the nonemergency number) or your town offices and ask whether anyone is giving away fans.

If you don’t have a way to stay cool, spend a few hours at the library, senior center, the mall or movie theater, especially in the afternoon.

Even three or four hours per day in a cool environment can go a long way to keeping you healthy.

Close the curtains on the sunny side of the house. Open windows for a breeze.

Wear loose, light-colored clothing. If you must wear a hat, be sure the top of your head can breathe. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from glare.

During heat waves, it’s a good idea to do a phone check on elderly friends to be sure they’re handling the heat. Ask them to check on you a few times a day as well.

THE TAJ MAHAL Situated near the banks of the River Jumna in northern India sits the world’s most stunning mausoleum, visited by close to four million sightseers every year. This week, Tidbits has gathered some interesting information about the Taj Mahal, one man’s monument to his beloved wife.

• The emperor Shah Jahan met his future wife when he was just 15 years old and declared it was love at first sight. Although the couple did not marry for another five years, they were inseparable during the interim. Upon their marriage, he titled his bride Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “Chosen One of the Palace,” and he began construction of a luxurious royal home.

• In 1631, the Shah set out with his armies to pacify an uprising. His wife chose to accompany him, which was not an unusual occurrence, except that she was advanced in pregnancy. After experiencing complications, Mumtaz Mahal, age 38, died shortly after the birth of her 14th child. With her dying breath, she asked her husband to promise to honor their love by building the world’s most beautiful mausoleum.

• Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, and an estimated 20,000 laborers worked on the edifice over the course of more than 21 years. A 9.3-mile- (15-km) long ramp was built for dragging materials to the site. Teams of 30 oxen as well as 1,000 elephants pulled marble blocks to the sophisticated pulley system that raised the blocks into position.

• A huge gateway and arch welcome visitors to the area, symbolic of the gateway through which Mohammed entered Paradise. The marble portal of the main entrance is inscribed with the “promise of Allah,” which reads, “O thou soul at peace, return thou unto thy Lord. These are the Gardens of Eden, enter them and live forever.”

Lavender May Calm Hyperactive Dogs

By Samantha Mazzotta

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I read on an Internet forum that lavender can help calm nervous and hyperactive dogs. Is this the case? I know that some plants are toxic to pets. -- Jenna C., Los Angeles DEAR JENNA: Lavender, or the scent of lavender, has been touted as a natural way to help calm down dogs. Experts advocating natural treatments recommend placing a few drops of the essential oil on a cloth, a favorite blanket or a cotton ball and placing it near the dog. (Make sure your dog doesn’t ingest it.) I’ve seen recommendations to place the essential oil directly on a dog’s coat, but this can cause skin irritation, so you should avoid that.

For cats, however, lavender is a more dangerous proposition. Ingesting the essential oil or

accidentally getting it on their skin can cause stomach upset and, in larger doses, liver toxicity.

It’s true that some plants, including herbs, are dangerous for both dogs and cats. Lily plants should not be in a house with cats, as they are very poisonous. Eucalyptus plants and essential oil should be kept away from pets; the plant leaves can cause vomiting if ingested, and the oil can make cats quite ill.

A list of plants that are poisonous for cats and dogs can be found at earthclinic.com. Before bringing a new plant into the house or before applying an herbal or aromatherapy remedy to your pet, do your homework to make sure it’s not toxic. Your veterinarian also can provide expert advice on herbs and plants to avoid.

Page 5 • A minaret stands at each of the four corners of the pedestal platform on which the tomb rests. Each stands 130 feet (40 m) tall, the traditional components of mosques.

• There are 42 acres of grounds in the complex, divided by four channels of water, which represent the four rivers of Paradise mentioned in the sacred Koran. Colossal sunken flowerbeds, trees, pools and fountains complete the magnificent landscape. The large white marble monument with its distinctive onion dome appears pinkish in the mornings, a milky white during the evening, and golden in the moonlight.

• The interior is octagon-shaped, and the white marble walls are inlaid with 35 different types of precious and semi-precious stones, including jade, jasper, turquoise, sapphires, pearls and lapis lazuli. Delicate motifs of flowers, vines and fruits were meticulously crafted from the stones.

• Because Muslim tradition forbids the elaborate decoration of graves, the actual tombs holding the bodies of the Shah and his wife are in a much simpler crypt below the inner chamber. Their faces are turned toward Mecca, Islam’s holy city. Inscribed along the sides of Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb are “The 99 Names of God,” including Noble, Magnificent, Majestic, Eternal and Glorious.

• The reign of Shah Jahan came to an unfortunate end when his son plotted to overthrow him, imprisoning his father in a tower and taking over the throne. From his window in his prison, Shah Jahan was able to view his beautiful monument. Upon his death, the son buried him next to his beloved wife.

Page 6

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Page 7

For Advertising Call (205) 552-5502 THAT’S JUST NUTS! Tidbits is feeling a little nutty this week! Learn more about these healthy additions to your diet.

• Sometimes called para nuts or cream nuts, Brazil nuts are grown in tropical South American rainforests. Their name might be “Brazil,” but most of the world’s supply comes from Bolivia. The huge tree that produces them grows up to 150 feet (45.7 m) tall and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter. The nuts form inside a hard pod about the size of a coconut, which holds between 15 and 25 nuts. Because these pods can fall from the tree without warning, harvesters wear wooden hats to protect their heads. Brazil nuts are high in fat, about 65 percent in content, which causes them to spoil more readily than other nuts.

• We call them peanuts, but they’re not really nuts — Peanuts are legumes grown underground. Of all the nuts that Americans snack on, peanuts account for two-thirds of the total, about 700 million pounds (317 million kg) every year.

One acre of plants will produce 2,860 pounds (1,297 kg) of peanuts, enough to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. One 18-ounce (.5 kg) jar of peanut butter requires 850 peanuts. Just over half of the U.S. crop comes from Georgia, with half of Georgia’s crop going to the manufacture of peanut butter. Chocolate manufacturers use about 20 percent of the peanut crop.

• Do you have a phobia about peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth? You suffer from arachibutyrophobia.

• What’s the difference between a filbert and a hazelnut? Nothing! They are one and the

same. St. Philibert was a 7th century abbot who founded a French monastery. His feast day is August 22, the day filberts ripen in England, and his accomplishments are commemorated by a nut bearing his name. French settlers introduced the tree to Oregon, where they are widely grown, making them that state’s official nut.

• Walnuts must have been a popular snack in Pompeii. Archaeologists have found uneaten walnuts in the remains of the city, buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. A walnut tree can produce for nearly 100 years.

• Two varieties of nuts are mentioned in the Bible, almonds and pistachios. The almond is not a true nut, but rather a drupe, related to other stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, apricots and cherries. California is the world’s top producer of almonds, although they are also grown in Spain, Syria, Iran and Morocco. These nutritious nuts are an excellent source of protein, potassium, Vitamin E and magnesium, and have been shown to help lower cholesterol. Twenty-five almonds contain only 160 calories, with one gram of saturated fat.

Pistachios, mentioned in Genesis 43:11, come from one of the oldest flowering nut trees, harvested for at least 9,000 years. A member of the cashew family, the pistachio is one of the lowest calorie nuts — about 100 calories for 30 nuts.

They are also a good source of antioxidants, scoring higher than a cup of green tea.

• Have you “gone pecan?” In New Orleans’ lingo, that’s not a good thing; it means you’re beyond help! The pecan tree is the state tree of Texas, and Pecan Festivals are held there annually.

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The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, founded in 1883, is the largest and oldest humane society in Alabama. Over the course of our history we have witnessed the changes in our community and yet have never left the original mission of Dr. Phillips “to promote respect for life through education and prevention of cruelty to animals and people”

Any Questions or Concerns Animal Adoption - 205.942.1211 - 300 Snow Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209 - WWW.GBHS.ORG Email us at: kkeith@gbhs.org

Boomer Male, Adult Rat Terrier

Meliah Abed Female, Adult Male, Puppy American Jack Russell Terrier Pit Bull Terrier

Mr Johnny Bravo Male, Adult Jack Russell Terrier

Dudley Male, Adult English Setter

Adam Male, Kitten Domestic Shorthair

Oliver Male, Adult Snowshoe

Buttercup Female, Adult Domestic Shorthair

Catalina Female, Kitten Domestic Shorthair

Speckles Female, Adult Domestic Shorthair

Have pet questions? Send them to us!

Please email us your questions to kkeith@gbhs.org “Put Tidbits In The Subject Line”

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) is a nonprofit in Birmingham, Alabama that has been serving abused and abandoned pets in Birmingham since 1883. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society was one of the first humane societies in the United States. Today the GBHS cares for nearly 9,000 animals a year and serves pets and people through their various programs which include, but are not limited to, pet adoptions, animal cruelty prevention, and humane education.

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¥ Just as a group of birds is called a flock, a group of frogs is called an army.

¥ It was German-American painter and lithographer Herm Albright who made the following sage observation: “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” ¥ It’s well-known that there were shortages of many items during World War II -- and caffeine was one.

It was such a problem, in fact, that the chemists at Coca-Cola tried to find a substitute, even experimenting with a derivative of bat guano. The idea was nixed by an executive who was afraid of the public backlash if the truth ever came out.

¥ Ever wonder why a barber pole has red and white stripes? It’s a rather grisly tale. At one time barbers did more than cut hair; they sometimes performed marriages and baptisms, served as dentists and even performed surgery. When engaged in the medical work, any excess blood was soaked up by white towels, which were often hung up on a pole outside to dry. As the wind wrapped the towel around the pole, it created a design of red and white stripes. ¥ The 1982 film “Gandhi,” which was awarded eight Oscars, including the one for best picture, used a whopping 300,000 extras. ¥ Toilet paper was first introduced in the United States in 1857, but the idea didn’t take off -- the paper being offered was evidently too much like the paper in the Sears catalog, which is what most people used at the time. ¥ The most popular perfume in the world is Chanel No. 5.

Thought for the Day: “Always forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” -- Robert Kennedy BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:1) Old; 2) Fir; 3) Claudius Lysias; 4) Lamb; 5) Husbandman; 6) Roaring lion

Answers 1. Henry 2. A “mac,” short for “Macintosh” 3. United Kingdom 4. Eagles 5. A flamboyance 6. Chad 7. Eleanor Roosevelt 8. A silver bell 9. $1.98 10. Jupiter