TIDBITS® LEARNS THAT GRASS IS NOT JUST FOR MOWING

by Patricia L. CookThis Tidbits examines grasses around the world. There are many varieties of grasses found from the freezing North and South Poles to many deserts and the lands along the sultry hot equator. • Grasses belong in the plant family botanists call Poa-

ceae. Grasses are considered flowering plants, but the flowers are not showy as they are on, for example, roses and sunflowers. This lack of showiness is due to the fact that grasses are wind pollinated and not pollinated by insects. The colorful blooms of most flowering plants are needed to attract pollinating insects.

• The grass family is very large, containing an estimated 10,000 species worldwide. Over 1,000 species occur in North America.

• Grasses range widely in shape and size, ranging from golf course turf and lawn grass to wheat, corn, rice, sugarcane and bamboo.

• Grasses can be as short as the greens on a golf course and as tall as bamboo that can reach heights of 120 feet (40 m). Golfers around the world are thankful for the manicured greens that allow putts to roll precisely as intended. Pandas are thankful for the large bamboo forests they depend on for their sustenance. Talk about picky eaters: Bamboo is all they will eat!

• All of our cereal grains belong to the grass family, in-cluding wheat, rice, wild rice, corn, oats, barley, millet and rye.

• Some grasses can survive in very inhospitable places, from the tundra in the extreme north to the shifting sands in the harshest deserts and even where salt wa-ter is present.

• Grasses were prevalent across the Great Plains of North America and proved instrumental in making the region a great cattle-grazing area. Since about 1880, much of the native grasslands have been dissected by agricul-ture. One of the last remnants of this vast grassland area untainted by agriculture is the Flint Hills region in eastern Kansas. Ecologists refer to this ecosystem as tallgrass prairie, and preservation of a piece of it is assured in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, Kansas.

• Grains are one of the four primary food groups identi-fied in the nutritional guidelines posted by the U. S. De-partment of Agriculture. The recommended daily grain

Week of July 2, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 20

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1. Which 1950s artist is memorial-ized with an 8-foot bronze statue in his hometown?2. Name the Spice Girls.3. What was Wicked Lester?

4. What do “He’s a Rebel,” “Rubber Ball” and “Hello Mary Lou” have in common?5. Which singer was born Ellen Naomi Cohen?6. What were The Polka Tulk Blues Band, and Earth?

Answers1. Buddy Holly. The statue in Lubbock, Texas, is along the Walk of Fame that also memorializes other Texas artists. It’s across the street from the Buddy Holly museum.2. Melanie B (Scary Spice), Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice 1996-98), Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice), Melanie C (Sporty Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice).3. The rock band that would eventually be known as Kiss, after a short run as Rainbow (1970-71).4. All were written for other artists by singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. His own chart hits often were written by the Burt Bacharach-Hal David duo.5. None other than Cass Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas (“California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday” and “Dedicated to the One I Love”).6. The two groups became Black Sabbath after another name change. It’s said that The Polka Tulk Blues Band name came from a brand of talcum powder used by Ozzie Osbourne’s mother.

Coconut-Strawberry ShortcakesHurry, don’t delay one minute longer -- within just a few short weeks those perfect “homegrown” berries will be hard to find, and we’ll have to wait another year before we can again pro-claim “Strawberry Fields Forever”!

3/4 cup reduced-fat biscuit baking mixSugar substitute to equal 1/4 cup sugar, suitable for baking4 teaspoons flaked coconut2 tablespoons no-fat sour cream1/4 cup fat-free milk2 teaspoons coconut extract1 (4-serving) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder1 3/4 cups water1/4 cup reduced-calorie whipped topping4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, sugar substitute and coconut. Stir in sour cream, milk and 1 teaspoon coconut extract. Drop batter onto prepared baking sheet to form 4 shortcakes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Place shortcakes on wire rack to cool.2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine dry pudding mix, milk powder and water. Mix well using a wire whisk. Blend in whipped topping and remaining 1 teaspoon coconut ex-tract. For each serving, place a shortcake on a dessert dish, spoon 1/2 cup pudding mixture over shortcakes, and sprinkle 1 cup strawberries over top. Serves 4.

¥ Each serving equals: 221 calories, 3g fat, 7g protein, 39g carb., 676mg Sodium, 6g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1 Fat-Free Milk.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULBill insisted that he had nothing to do with Deacon’s presence in Italy. Deacon charmed Alison into revealing the rest of Bill’s

plan. Meanwhile, Hope made a second attempt to walk down the aisle with Liam. Steffy couldn’t help thinking about her own nuptials with Liam in Aspen. Katie dis-covered that Karen and Danielle were partners. As Hope and Liam finally wed, Bill began to accept that they were meant to be together. Caroline began to get seri-ous with Thomas. Katie had an ultrasound to determine her baby’s gender. Liam couldn’t keep his mind off the events in Italy. Wait to See: Brooke discovers that Liam is hiding something. Hope tries to make amends with Steffy.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESNicole found a box of bullets in EJ’s apartment. Rafe admitted to Carrie that he still had feelings for her. Gabi was disappointed that Chad was so consumed by the news of Melanie’s kidnapping. Brady accused Ian of drugging him. EJ and Nicole discussed what might have been. Ian offered to send Brady to rehab. Friends and family gathered to pay tribute to Lexie and shared a group dance. Sami hoped that Lexie forgave her be-fore she died. Kayla was seriously considering divorc-ing Steve after he rejoined the ISA. Daniel and Nicole went out on a real date. Wait to See: EJ learns the results of his polygraph test. Ian has proof that Brady is lying.

GENERAL HOSPITALJohnny told Kate that he could no longer help her figure out her past or it might jeopardize his relationship with Carly. Anna was forced to tell Tracy about her relation-ship with Luke. Heather demanded that Todd assign her the gossip column in his paper. Steve was worried that Elizabeth was falling for Jason again. Patrick went ballistic when he caught Maxie wearing Robin’s robe. Heather was furious to hear that Sam landed a job at “The Sun.” Kate had an important flashback. Michael was smitten while watching Starr record her new song. Elizabeth warned Sam not to push Jason away. Todd advised Carly not to trust Johnny. Wait to See: Kris-tina flirts with Trey. Sam watches the fireworks with McBain on the dock.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSAbby caused a media sensation after she “Tweeted” from the trunk of Carmine’s car after pretending to be kidnapped. Adam told Chelsea that he really did love her and wasn’t just trying to make Sharon jealous. A scarf with Daisy’s blood on it was found in the alley. Later, Ricky was shown throwing away Daisy’s purse and other possessions. Michael told Daniel that he was wanted for questioning in Daisy’s disappearance, while Eden insisted that Ricky had something to do with it instead. Later, Daniel was arrested and Heather was assigned to the case. Phyllis insisted on her son’s in-nocence. Wait to See: Paul feels guilty after a violent confrontation. Lauren is on the verge of being arrested.

intake for adults is 5-8 ounces (141.7-226.8 g) with at least half of this intake being whole and not refined grain. The USDA website, www.choosemyplate.gov, has good information on this subject.

• The connection between grains, carbohydrates and obesity is a hot topic of discussion among nutrition ex-perts in the United States. The Grains Food Foundation (GFF) notes that whole grains are important sources of iron, a nutrient critical to production and release of en-ergy in the body. The GFF further notes that the three nutrients selenium, potassium and magnesium found in whole grain foods collectively may help boost im-munity, lower blood pressure and prevent heart dis-ease and some forms of cancer.

• Exotic grasses introduced into an area where they are not native can sometimes set the stage for an ecologi-cal disaster. Cheatgrass that is native to the Mediter-ranean region of Europe was first observed in North America near Denver, Colorado, in the late 1800s. Al-legedly, it entered as a contaminant of agricultural seed. This grass is now a troublesome pest across much of arid western North America and rated by the USDA as a highly invasive species.

• Not only is bamboo food for pandas, it is a versatile construction material. Its uses include flooring, fenc-ing, decking, support poles, paneling, edging and con-duits (piping) to transport water.

• Bamboo is also becoming known in the bicycle world as a raw material for bicycle frames. Bamboosero is a company dedicated to using bamboo to construct bicycle frames in developing countries. Bamboo is an excellent choice for frames due to its strength and flexibility. Also, bamboo is plentiful in many develop-ing countries, and building bicycles provides needed employment to produce a useful product. Visit www.bamboosero.com to learn more.

• Native peoples in North America and Africa used grass-es and other plants as the fibrous material for weaving baskets. In the low country of South Carolina, descen-dants of West African slaves continue the traditions of basket weaving using sweet grass that is common to coastal South Carolina. Native Americans in California are believed to have managed vegetation using peri-odic land fires to remove unwanted plant litter, trees and shrubs from stands of deergrass, a grass prized in basket weaving.

• If you own or spend time around dogs you have prob-ably observed them eating grass. Why do dogs eat grass? It’s a question that has plagued veterinarians for years, and there is no universally accepted answer. Some possible answers are that dogs simply like the taste of grass or that grass serves as a laxative by add-ing fiber to the dog’s diet. Veterinarians are generally unified in the belief that grass, untainted by pesticides, is not harmful to dogs.

• Two of the most important services rendered by grass-es are those of a soil builder and a soil conservation agent. Oats, rye and ryegrass are often used as green manure and cover crops. A green manure crop is one that is grown and subsequently plowed under to build the soil. A cover crop is grown and left in place to flour-ish and prevent or reduce soil erosion.

• Grasses have been researched and used as agents to clean up former industrial sites with contaminated soil. Specialists working with and refining this technology refer to it as phytoremediation. Generally, soil pollut-ants are either taken up by plants and the plants har-vested and treated to render the pollutant-laden plant material harmless, or the pollutants are degraded to something harmless in the plants’ root zone. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes this technology as viable in some environmental cleanup situations.

• Citronella is a fragrant grass found in southeastern Asia. It is the source of citronella oil used in soaps, medicines and perfumes.

• Now that you know more about grasses and the impor-tant roles they play in our lives, maybe you won’t grum-ble so much when it comes time to mow the lawn!

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1. ADVERTISEMENTS: What product’s slogan is “When it rains, it pours”?2. ANATOMY: Where is a more common name for the tympanic membrane?3. MUSIC: Who had a hit album in the 1970s titled “Innervisions”?4. LITERATURE: Which of Shakespeare’s plays contains the line, “By the pricking of my thumbs, /something wicked this way comes”?5. MYTHOLOGY: What country was ruled by Midas, the king with the golden touch?6. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Portugal?7. TELEVISION: What famous TV couple of the 1950s lived at the fictional address 623 East 68th Street?8. U.S. STATES: Which state’s nickname is “The Grand Canyon State”?9. POETRY: What is a heroic couplet?10. HISTORY: Who was Jesse James’ brother and partner in crime?

Answers1. Morton Salt 2. Eardrum 3. Stevie Wonder 4. “Macbeth” 5. Phrygia6. Lisbon 7. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo 8. Arizona 9. Two rhymed 10-syllable lines of poetry 10. Frank James

Q: I was thrilled to read in your column that “Falling Skies” was returning to TNT, and I am loving every minute of season two. Can you give me any

spoilers for what to expect in coming episodes? -- Jack I., via e-mailA: I spoke with series star and all-around good guy Will Patton recently (but keep the “all-around good guy” comment between us, as Will’s Capt. Weaver has a tough-guy rep to protect!), and while he didn’t want to ruin any surprises for the fans, he did give me a little bit of a scoop on what’s to become of 2nd Mass.“We’re all working toward a common goal, with some dissension. Many of us have bonded in a new way. I think those of us who can step up to the plate and have a solidity are becoming more solid. For those who aren’t, it’s becoming more clear that they’re not, and it becomes a little more troublesome,” he said. “I think we’re going to go

through hell, that’s what I can tell you. We go through a lot of hell, but there are moments of blue sky. I think there’s probably more moments of blue sky in this season than there were in last season, but there’s a great deal of dark danger too.”That “dark danger” is what makes Weaver so much fun for Will to play, as well as letting viewers catch a glimpse of his softer side. Will told me: “It’s very interesting when you think about what it would be like to have to command in a situation like this. What is it you would have to do is maybe not what you would think, and being fair is not necessarily what we would normally think it would be.“I think it requires not allowing people to see certain things about you. The greatest commanders had to find ways to wear masks, which was the greatness of their command. That’s what’s interesting about Weaver: When that mask comes down a little bit, it’s powerful. That’s intriguing to me about people because I think we all, in order to survive, have to pretend sometimes to be something that we’re not.”

***Q: Both “NCIS” and “Missing” did not caption their finale show with “to be continued.” I am anxious to find out if they will return

to TV in the fall? -- P.R., via e-mailA: “NCIS” consistently places in the top 20 -- often top 10 -- of television ratings, so you can bet it will be back for a 10th season. The Ashley Judd show, “Missing,” wasn’t so lucky. ABC decided to cancel the ratings-challenged series back in May.

***Q: What has Charles Dutton been up to lately? -- Gerry F., AtlantaA: Charles has a new movie opening July 13 in select markets called “The Obama Effect,” which he stars in and marks his directorial debut. Keep an eye out for it in local theaters.

PHOTO: Will Patton

HOLLYWOOD -- NBC has added “Mock-ingbird Lane,” the reboot of “The Mun-sters,” to its fall schedule, and cast Jerry O’Connell as Herman Munster, originally played by Fred Gwynne. Jerry, whose last series was “The Defenders,” lived across

the street from me before he married Rebecca Romijn (Mystique in the “X-Men” films) and moved into a house. He and his brother Charlie O’Connell, who was “The Bachelor” in 2005, are two of the nicest guys around.Portia De Rossi will play his wife, Lily, originally played Yvonne De Carlo, while Mason Cook of “Spy Kids 4” and “The Lone Ranger” will play Eddie, their wolf-boy son. Eddie Izzard, who starred in the series “The Riches” with Minnie Driver, will play Grandpa, origi-nally played by Al Lewis. NBC is sure to have a hard time turning a handsome guy like Jerry O’Connell into a Frankenstein monster ... even for laughs!

***The USA Network has lined up an all-star cast for its six-episode se-ries “Political Animals.” It has signed Sigourney Weaver of “Aliens” fame, Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum” and “American Gang-ster”), Roger Bart (“Desperate Housewives”), Oscar-winner Ellen Burstyn (for “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”), Adrian Pasdar (“Heroes”) and “Judging Amy’s” Dan Futterman. The mini-series will premiere Sunday, July 15.Oscar-winner Vanessa Redgrave (for “Julia”) will be featured in a rare guest appearance as fictitious lesbian Supreme Court justice Diane Nash. She’s the only British actress to win an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Cannes Film Fest, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. In l967, I watched as she shot “Camelot,” as Guinevere, walk-ing amongst knights and thousands of dollars of synthetic snow ... until it snowed for the first time in 10 years in Burbank, gumming up the fake snow and forcing filming to shut down. Talk about men in armor and irony!

***Not long ago, Paramount Pictures closed down “The Lone Ranger” with Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp because of a $250 million budget. Depp, director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruck-heimer agreed to cut their upfront salaries, costly action locations and sequences. They trimmed the budget to $215 million, which was more acceptable to the studio, and filming resumed.Why should a Western cost $250 million? Maybe because they’re trying to do for Westerns what “The Pirates of the Caribbean” fran-chise did for pirates. After all, “True Grit” cost only $38 million and received 10 Oscar nominations. Now “The Lone Ranger”, which shoots through August, already has passed the $250 million mark. Bruckheimer will have to find more money somewhere.And wait until you see Depp as Tonto -- he looks more like a witch doctor than an American Indian. If costs keep ballooning, they’ll have to call this film “The Loan Ranger”!

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¥ On July 14, 1798, Congress passes the Sedition Act, which permit-ted the prosecution of individuals who voiced or printed what the government deemed to be malicious remarks about the president or government of the United States.¥ On July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his long-time political antagonist, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel. Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach, and the bullet lodged next to his spine. Hamilton, a Founding Father and first U.S. treasury secretary, died the next day.¥ On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer suburb of London. Twenty-one amateurs showed up to compete in the Gentlemen’s Singles tournament, the only event.¥ On July 10, 1925, in Dayton, Tenn., the so-called Monkey Trial be-gins with John Thomas Scopes, a young high-school science teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law. The law made it a misdemeanor to teach any theory that denied the story of the Divine Creation of man.¥ On July 12, 1933, the first three-wheeled, multi-directional Dy-maxion car is manufactured in Bridgeport, Conn. Part aircraft, part automobile, it had wings that inflated and a tail fin. It had a steel chas-sis, a body made of ash wood, an aluminum skin and a painted canvas roof. The Dymaxion was designed to reach a speed of 120 mph and average 28 mpg.¥ On July 15, 1941, master spy Juan Pujol Garcia, nicknamed “Garbo,” sends his first communique to Germany from Britain. The disinformation the double agent transmitted to Germany was fabri-cated by the British. In June 1944, he managed to convince Hitler that the D-Day invasion of Normandy was just a “diversionary maneuver.”¥ On July 13, 1955, model and nightclub manger Ruth Ellis is execut-ed by hanging in London for the murder of boyfriend David Blakely. She was the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. Ellis, 29, did not help her case when during her trial she stated, “It was obvious that when I shot him I intended to kill him.”

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a fast car in Michigan in his first win in 140 races. His last win came at the same track exactly 4 years earlier. (Getty Im-ages for NASCAR photo)

Lady Luck Smiles on Earnhardt Jr.

Who knew?On race morning at Michigan Interna-

tional Speedway on June 15, it rained as if an ark, not a stock-car race, was being launched. The rain washed away the rubber that drivers seem to consider as crucial to the quality of a race as that same rubber when it’s still on the tires and, by extension, the cars.The tires on the left sides of all the cars were older than the pave-ment, having been part of a batch turned out by a Goodyear fac-tory in 2006 and ‘07. The engines had more laps on them than their builders wanted because additional practice was required.How could something so wrong turn out to be so right? Some-times it’s the race that is great, and sometimes it’s the story.Michigan has been the scene of great hope that the Dale Earn-hardt Jr. nightmare would end, principally because it was the place where the previous victory had occurred. That race had, however, been a bit of a fluke since it was achieved more on the basis of fuel mileage than speed and it had been Earnhardt’s only previous victory at the track.Earnhardt didn’t give himself much of a chance the night before the race.“The car was a real handful, especially being around other cars,” he said. “When they change the tire, it takes away a ton of me-chanical grip. The car really relies a lot on the aero grip from that point on, and when you get around other cars, you lose that. When you have no mechanical and no aero, the car is a real tricky thing to get through the corner.

“I was really disappointed that they changed the tire. I was dis-appointed we were going through the process. ... We had worked a couple of days getting the thing to work with what we brought here. Then we were thrown into a deal where we had about an hour to figure it out. We only had 25 laps on our motor. Our mo-tor tuner wouldn’t let us run more than that. ... I was desperate ...”This Earnhardt victory was no fluke. He dominated, crossing the finish line more than five seconds ahead of Tony Stewart.“That other race was won on fuel mileage,” Earnhardt said. “And today, we just whupped ‘em.”

The Right Way to Remove TicksDEAR PAW’S CORNER: I wanted to pass on to your readers something I found that works very well for removing ticks: Icy-Hot. My little dog got a tick right in our own yard. I tried using a match, but I was so nervous that I might burn her. My sister told me to use Icy-Hot. I’m so relieved it did the trick! -- Diane O.,

Palmyra, N.Y.

DEAR DIANE: Interesting tip! One way that we used to remove ticks from our dogs many years ago was by smearing a dollop of Vaseline over the embedded tick, covering it completely. Eventually, the tick would suffocate or try to escape.In recent years, however, veterinarians and disease-control experts have recommended against using Vaseline because it can take up to 48 hours for the tick to suffocate. Ticks need to be removed quickly -- within 24 hours or less. Why? Because after a day of feeding, the tick is completely engorged with blood. To keep feeding, it regurgitates that blood right back into your pet -- and if the tick is carrying a disease like Lyme, your pet is likely to be infected.Ditto with the old-fashioned match trick. When a lighted match is held to the tick, the tick often pulls out quickly -- but it tends to regurgitate as it does so.So what’s the best way to remove ticks? Experts recommend tweezers, grabbing as close to the tick’s head as possible. Slowly pull the head out without twisting or jerking -- being careful not to squish the tick for the reasons listed above. If the tick’s head or part of its head breaks off in the skin, monitor your pet for a few days. It should be worked out by your pet’s own body, but if signs of infection appear, contact your veterinarian.

Page 6 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116¥ “The kids are all home for

the summer, which means

more TV squabbles. We limit

their television viewing with

coupons, which they can use

to “reserve” the TV. They write the time they’d like to use the

television, in 30-minute increments, on the coupon, and it gets

taped to the inside cabinet of the entertainment center. This

has worked well, since it’s first-come, first-served”. -- R.E. in

Tennessee

¥ If you are counting calories, check out the website of fast-

food restaurants you frequent, and you can decide ahead of

time what items fit best in your diet.

¥ “To clean my glass lighting fixtures, I take them down, dust

them off and use a toothbrush on any intricate dirt areas, then

I stack them in the dishwasher’s top rack. I run it without

cleaner, and it does a terrific job.” -- a Reader in Oregon

¥ If your stomach gets irritated when you take aspirin, make

sure you’re taking it with a full glass of water. Too little water

will result in an upset tummy.

¥ “I keep a tea towel on the end of my dresser so that I can set

my purse there. The bottoms of purses see so many dirty areas,

and I can just toss the towel in the wash weekly.” -- M.M. in

Louisiana

¥ If you want to keep your peeled potatoes white, add a little

bit of white vinegar to the cooking water. It will not flavor the

potatoes.

‘Ectoplasmic Ick’ Will Baffle Kids

A friend of mine is an amazing magician who loves to play tricks on the kids in the neighborhood. One afternoon, I noticed

there was a crowd gathered around him watching with great anticipation a magic trick being performed. I arrived just in time

to witness his grand finale: pulling a bouquet of flowers out of thin air. The surprise on the kids’ faces -- and mine -- was a sight to behold.

Here’s another wonderful surprise, and a bit of magic your kids won’t want to miss. It’s a natural transformation that leads to the most peculiar result. This

slithery goop appears to be solid one moment, only to ooze out between your fingers, over your wrist and down your arm seconds later.

Once you make this concoction, let the school-age kids in your home or at your summer birthday party play with it. Then have a contest to give it a name.

For starters, how about “Sublime Slime” or, our favorite, “Ectoplasmic Ick”!

Here’s the recipe:

In a mixing bowl, stir together 3/4 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water to form a thick paste. Add food coloring or liquid tempera paint for color, if you wish.

You may need to add more water. Now, roll the goop in your hands to form a ball.

Immediately, experiment with it to discover its unique properties. Squeeze it, hit it or let it drip through your fingers. Or, place it on a cookie sheet, press it

flat, roll it in a ball or let it go. It’s amazing! If you have a bowlful, set plastic toys on it and watch them sink like they’re in quicksand.

For another surprising experiment, let it evaporate in the sunshine to discover cornstarch once again. Add water and you’ll have another batch.

¥ It was ancient C h i n e s e p h i l o s o p h e r C o n f u c i u s who made the

following sage observation: “It is only the very wisest and the very stupidest who cannot change.”

¥ The 1,000 most common words in English make up approximately 90 percent of all writing in the language.

¥ If you’re planning a trip Down Under, be sure you save some time for the Australian state of Tasmania. In the capital, Derwent, is

the critically acclaimed Museum of Old and New Art, or MONA. One of the unusual -- I would even venture to say unique in the world -- offerings is the after-hours “naturist tour.” Yes, that means naked. A naked tour guide leads naked tourists through the museum. Even the security guards are naked.

¥ You may be surprised to learn that hot and cold running water has been around for thousands of years. Members of the upper class in ancient Egypt used copper tubing to pipe it into their homes.

¥ The oldest goldfish on record lived 41 years. His name was Fred.

¥ According to the U.S. Census, the Pacific states

(including Hawaii) are home to the men with the longest life expectancy, while women tend to live longer in the South.

¥ If one or both of your parents were sleepwalkers, you’re more prone to nocturnal wanderings yourself.

¥ In the late 1960s, J.I. Rodale, creator of Prevention magazine, was invited to be a guest on the “Dick Cavett Show.” After talking confidently about his good health and predicting that he would live to be 100, he seemed to doze off. The host and another guest chuckled a bit about the apparent nap, until they realized that Rodale had died. Needless to say, the show never aired.

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MOTORCYCLESMotorcycles are not for hauling families like cars but provide individual riders with transportaion that is both economical and fun.• Most motorcycle riders have dusted off their bikes and

ridden many miles by the time June rolls around. Not great for winters, especially in cold climates, motorcycles are a vehicle of choice for riders in summer.

• The predecessors to motorcycles and motor scooters were called “safety” bicycles. Safety bicycles were so named because they came about to replace the high-wheeled bikes that were so dangerous in the 1800s. The newer bikes had tires of the same or close to the same size so they were easier to mount and dismount.

• Inventor Sylvestor H. Roper built a steam velocipede in 1867. (Velocipede was the name given to early bicycles and tricycles.) His invention was the earliest known motorcycle, with an ability to carry enough coal to ride 25 miles. While he didn’t find commercial success or fame, his invention inspired others in developing motorcycles.

• According to a biography of Roper, he died of a heart attack while demonstrating his steam bicycle’s speed and endurance during a trial run in Worcester County, Massachusetts.

• In Europe, it wasn’t long after the safety bicycle was invented that someone decided to attach a motor. Gottleib Daimler is credited with building the first motorized bicycle, soon called a motorcycle, in 1885. Daimler’s bikes were made of wood and came to be known as “boneshakers,” because of the roughness of the ride.

• In 1892, Alex Millet came up with a safety bicycle design that was a smoother ride with pneumatic tires and a five-cylinder rotary engine that was built into the rear wheel.

• The first powered two-wheeled vehicles that were patented and produced successfully in numbers were built by Hildebrand & Wolfmueller in Munich, Germany, in 1894. Hildebrand & Wolfmueller made more than 200 vehicles that used a twin cylinder water-cooled engine and a step-through frame.

• In 1895, the French company DeDion-Buton revolutionized the motorcycle industry with its four-stroke engine that was capable of generating half a horsepower. The engine drew attention from motorcycle manufacturers worldwide. The company was able to mass produce the engines.

• Two American motorcycle companies that copied and used the design of the DeDion-Buton engine for their machines were Harley-Davidson and Indian.

• With the help of a German co-worker, Arthur and Walter Davidson and William Harley started one of the most recognizable motorcycle companies in the world today. In 1905, the “Silent Gray Fellow,” was the first Harley-Davidson sold in significant numbers. To slow or stop, the rider had to peddle backwards! Today, over 100 years later, Harley-Davidsons remain popular.

• Indian Motorcycles started off as the Hendee Manufacturing Company in 1901. The founder, George Hendee, named the “motocycles,” (notice there is no “r”), Indian to signify they were American products. The Indian company closed in 1954, and after many years and complicated legal problems, a new company began selling the brand again in 1999.

• The two companies continue to compete for owners and awards. Both are very much alive and well with dedicated riders.

Programming the Ear to End Dizziness

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: From the minute I get out of bed, I have at-tacks of dizziness. I don’t know what brings them on. I’m afraid these spells are going to make me

fall and break something. Do you have any thoughts that could help? I’m 82. -- R.M.

ANSWER: The causes of dizziness (vertigo) are many. I’ll mention a couple, but you need a doctor’s exam to determine what the exact problem is.Meniere’s (main-YAIRS) disease is a triad of dizziness, hearing loss and ear noises (tinnitus). It comes in brief attacks, with recovery in a short time. As time passes, attacks last longer, with briefer periods of relief. A buildup of fluid in the inner ear is responsible. Water pills and a strict low-sodium diet help. Surgical drainage of the fluid is another treatment.A viral infection of the inner ear is a common dizziness cause. Time eventually takes care of the virus. During the period of infection, a medicine like meclizine improves symptoms.A third common problem is benign positional vertigo -- dizziness at-tacks with head movement. Getting out of bed, rolling over in bed, looking up at a high shelf and just about any change in head position trigger an attack, which is short-lived. Tiny calcium crystals in the in-ner ear have migrated to places where they engender a discharge of

confusing signals to the brain. Repositioning the crystals puts an end to the attacks.Sit in the middle of a bed, far enough to the opposite side of the bed that your head will project over that side when you lie down. If a head turn to the right provokes an attack, quickly turn your head to the right, and keep it turned until dizziness goes. Then lie down quickly with your head off the side of the bed and still turned to the right. Then, from that position, turn your head to the left. Roll over onto your left side, with your nose pointed down to the floor, for 30 seconds. Then go back to the starting sitting position with head bent. If dizziness persists, repeat. If this is too complicated, let your doctor lead you through it.The booklet on dizziness discusses in greater depth its various causes and treatments. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 801W, 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 try to keep up with the latest nutritional rec-ommendations. I have had no formal training, so I am often confused by the terms used. For example, what are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates? What’s the difference? -- L.A.

ANSWER: Simple carbohydrates are sugars like table sugar (sucrose). The sugar in intravenous feedings in hospitals is glucose, and fruit sug-ar is fructose. Both are simple carbohydrates.Complex carbohydrates are very long chains of the basic carbohydrate unit. Starches are complex carbohydrates. Potatoes, pastas and rice are examples of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates don’t raise blood sugar as quickly as simple ones do.

Blue-Collar BluesBlue-collar workers among us could be hurt if the retirement age is raised again. While the overall state of Social Security wouldn’t be affected that much, it would be a burden for those who’ve done the hard work all their lives.So says a report by the American Institute for Economic Research.Think about it: Those of us who’ve done physical work all our lives want to retire earlier. We’re tired and need a break. A researcher examined records for a period of 21 years and found that:

--Less than 5 percent of workers in white-collar professions retire at age 65. This group includes lawyers, scientists, managers and administra-tors.--Those who do manual labor, the blue-collar workers among us, retire at age 65 at the following rates:32 percent -- foremen, machine operators23 percent -- carpenters21.6 -- farm workers19 percent -- kitchen workers18.5 percent -- gardeners, auto mechanicsIf the retirement age is raised, blue-collar workers won’t stay on the job. They’ll still retire, but their Social Security each month will be less than it would be at full retirement age.The current debate is whether raising the retirement age would have any benefit to the Social Security program itself. One study that showed raising the earliest retirement age from 62 to 65 would have only “modest effects” on the health of Social Security.On the other hand, to keep working requires that one have a job. It’s shown that the unemployment rate for those age 55 and older is the highest it’s been in 60 years.If you object to the government trying to balance the budget by tinkering with our retirement, let your senators know.

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