www.tidbitscda.com For Ad Rates call: (208) 755-9120 evelyn2318@gmail.com

of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #7 Feb 11th

answer page 2

TIDBITS CONSIDERS DOLPHINS

by Janet SpencerThe cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that thinks, imagines, and plans. The larger it is, the more intelligent the animal. A dolphin's cerebral cortex is larger than a human's. Dolphins also have more folds in their brains than humans do. Let’s take a look at what dolphins can do. •Likebats,dolphinsnavigateperfectly,even when unable to see, by using sonar. In the forehead of each dolphin is a pocket of oil or fat called the melon. This is used to focus the sound of the sonar blasts into a beam, like a magni-fying lens focuses light. The sound bounces off an object and returns to the dolphin as an echo, containing information on the size, texture, and movement of the object. The dolphin receives the echo through fat deposits in its jaw. •Adolphincanidentifyobjectsuptohalfa mile away, detecting an item as small as a vita-min pill at the far end of a large pool. They also have manners when sounding their echolocation and avoid 'spraying' others with sound, focusing their sonar through a narrow window between other dolphins. •Dolphinsmaybeable tomake soundsloud enough to stun fish. One researcher whowent swimming in a pool with an agitated dol-phin had his eardrum burst by such a sound. Some scientists theorize dolphins may use sonar to project images into the brains of other dol-phins. turn the page for more!

Page 2 Tidbits® of CDA

Ten locally owned and oper-ated dining establishments in the greater Coeur d’Alene area have joined together to offer an Eating Contest! All you have to do is enjoy the great cuisine at each of these ten establishments in a 6-week period. You must spend at least $15 at each lo-cation, save your receipts and drop them off at Franklin’s (501 N. 4th Street, Coeur d’Alene), by March 20, 2013. All entries will be entered into adrawingtowina$20giftcertificatetoeachofthe establishments – that’s $200 in FREE, great, local dining! See page 6 for locations and see below for an introduction to each restaurant.

• Side Street Place, Post Falls – The Side Street Place offers full breakfast and lunch menus for all tastes with a neighborly atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy.• Broken Egg Café, Coeur d’Alene – The Bro-ken Egg Café features traditional American Cui-sine for breakfast and lunch, with large portions for a great price.• Sargent’s, Hayden – Sargents offers great steaks for lunch and dinner at a wonderful price and the atmosphere will be enjoyed by all.• Fu-Ki Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, Post Falls – If you are looking for great Japanese cuisine, Fu-Ki is the place to visit. Your personal Chef cooks your dinner right in front of you on a Teppan stove, putting on a great show for the whole family.• 315 Cuisine, Coeur d’Alene – 315 is located in the beautiful, historical Greenbriar Inn. Here you will enjoy a hand-crafted martini bar and small-plate menu with some main dish traditional fare also offered, all in a great atmosphere with car-ing, friendly staff.• Angelo’s Ristorante, Coeur d’Alene – If you enjoy authentic Italian, you can’t go wrong with Angelo’s. Wonderful food in a great atmosphere, best choice for a quiet, memorable date night.• Elmer’s, Coeur d’Alene – A wonderful “Amer-ican” family restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with great food for all tastes and ex-ceptional service.• Chinese Gardens, Coeur d’Alene – A great se-lection of Szechuan and Taiwan home-cooking for an unbeatable price.• Franklin’s, Coeur d’Alene – Franklin’s Hoa-gies features fresh ingredients, great breakfasts and amazing sandwiches, including their famous Original Cheesesteak Hoagie, all served byfriendly staff in a great local, classic car atmo-sphere.• GW Hunters, Post Falls – Famous steak and seafood restaurant offering a great menu includ-ing incredible wild game dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve large portions at great prices in an atmosphere of very tastefully displayed wildlife museum décor.

See advertisement on Page 6!

Questions about the contest ? Call Evelyn at 208.755-9120

www.tidbitscda.com

DOLPHINS(continued): •It is difficult to study the language ofdolphins because when there are two or more dolphins present, it is impossible to tell which animal is making which sounds. However, a sci-entist developed a microcomputer that's fastened by suction cups to each dolphin's head. It records each sound and the time it was made, which can be matched up to videos made of the dolphin to see what the animal was doing at the time. •Dolphins identify themselvesandeachother with "signature whistles" that act as a name. They express emotions by repeating their "name" in different "tones of voice." Researchers haverecordedandidentifiedsignaturewhistlesof individual dolphins. When those dolphins are taken into separate tanks for medical care, they repeat their names with variations that scientists interpret as fear or apprehension, communicat-ing their state of mind to other dolphins. •Dr.JarvisBastian,aUniversityofCali-fornia psychologist, taught two dolphins named Doris and Buzz a game. They were taught to presstheleverontheleftwhentheysawaflash-ing light and the lever on the right when they saw a steady light. Then he taught them a new twist:whenthelightcameon,DorishadtowaituntilBuzzpressedhisleverfirst,thenshewastopress her lever. When they had this down pat, Dr. Bastian then placed a barricade between the two dolphins so that they couldn't see each other. OnlyDoriscouldseethelight.Whenthelightwasflashed,DoriswaitedforBuzztopresshislever. Buzz, not knowing the light was on, did nothing. Doris then gave off a burst of whistles and clicks, and Buzz immediately pulled the cor-rect lever. He pulled the correct lever every time the test was repeated.

Saturday, March 23 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m

Featuring Artists & Vendors from all over the Northwest *Gourmet Concessions* *HourlyRaffle* *Bake Sale* *Entertainment*Admission$1tobenefitthe2013 LCHS. Senior All-Night Drug & Alcohol Free Grad Party

For more information, call Jody Clem at 208-215-4880 OR

jclem35@hotmail.com

Greetings, my name is

Evelyn Bevacqua

Mark your calendar for the Lake City High School 11th

Annual Spring Craft & Garden Show

Page 3 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.comwww.tidbitscda.comDOLPHINS(continued): • Dolphins in the oceanarium in SanFrancisco were taught to "clean house." They receivedarewardoffishforeachpieceoftrashthey brought to their trainer. A dolphin named Mr. Spock kept on bringing a steady stream of soggy bits of paper. Finally, the trainer discov-ered that the dolphin had hidden a big brown pa-per bag in a corner of the pool, and was tearing off a tiny piece at time. •AttheKewaloBasinMarineMammalLab in Hawaii, trainers were working with two bottlenose dolphins. Together the two trainers tappedtwofingersofeachhandtogether,mak-ing the symbol for "in tandem." Then they both threw their arms in the air in the sign language gesture that meant "creative." The instruction was, "Do something creative together." The two dolphins broke away and began swimming around the tank together. Then in perfect cho-reography they leapt high into the air while si-multaneously spitting water out of their mouths. Because dolphins don't normally carry water in their mouths, it was obviously a move that had to be planned and synchronized before they left the water, proving that this was not a matter of two dolphins playing Follow the Leader. When more games of "Tandem Creative" were played, the dolphins did such things and backpedalling andthenwavingtheirtailflukes,ordoingsimul-taneousbackflips.Thetrainerswerealwayssur-prised. •OfftheshoresofatowncalledLagunain Brazil, dolphins and men have teamed up for generations. Fishermen line up in the shallow water off the shore with their nets. When the dol-phins locate a school of mullet, they “herd” the fishtowardsthefishermen.Whilethefishermenfilltheirnets,thedolphinsfeastontheleftovers.turn the page for more!

NORTHWIND TOOLS New Business in North Idaho A new tool company has been estab-lished in North Idaho, bringing “100% Innova-tive, 100% American, Multi-Functional Hand Tools” along with revenue for our area and country. Thenewesttoolandacurrentbestseller,thePINCHALOG,makesiteasytopickupandmove6”to26”firewoodlogswithoutdeepbending,whichallowsmanypeoplewithphysicalchallengestousefirewood.Thistooliscurrentlyforsaleatselectlocalstores,includingOldWestHardwareinSpirit Lake. The President and Inventor, Daniel Considine, is a North Idaho resident. A decorated retired veteranoftheU.S.AirForce,DanielalsoworkedinStructuralSteelFabrication. Daniel began inventing at a young age. At 16 he had the concept of his amazing variable speed drive shaft bicycle that Disney offered to display in Future World. This drive shaft system is completely enclosed and impervious to elements, with less moving parts and maintenance while featuring both rear and top drive shifting. This bicycle will be a boon for all serious bikers - includ-ing mountain and recumbent bikers - and can also be used for exercise bikes and peddle boats. See the many advantages at www.northwindtools.com. NorthWind’s Multi-Functional Hand Tools en-compass several tools in one. These can also be seen on the website, including the Spin Break Driver and the Rotating Flex Head Wrench that save time and money for the professional me-chanic or tool enthusiast of any vehicle (land, air and water). These tools and the bicycle won Gold medals and other awards at the Minnesota Inventors Congress. The prototypes are cur-rently being tested nationally. As tools of preference, Northwind Tools is committed to manufacturingonlyhighqualityUSAmadetoolsthatyouwilluse for years to come. Northwind Tools, LLC can be contacted at info@northwindtools.com

www.northwindtools.com

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 4 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com

SENIOR NEWS LINEby Matilda Charles

Ideas for Caregivers Caring for an elderly parent or spouse isn't easy. In spiteofhowdifficult itmightbe,you're not alone. There are programs and steps you can take that can ease your burden a bit.Start with the basics, the home, and be sure there are safeguards in place to make your job easier. For ideas about what you might need, go online to sites such as Elder Proof Home (www.elder-proofhome.com, or call 1-888-840-1055) for items that can help you. By clicking the catego-riesontheleftside,you'llnotonlyfindproductsthat will help make the environment safer, but tips and advice as well. If you've had to give up your job to take care of a parent or spouse, there might be some moneythatwillhelpfillinthegap: -If you're a spouse who cares for a vet-eran who receives a pension, the veteran might qualify for what is called Aid and Attendance money. Call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 to ask for specificsonhowtoapplyfortheextrapension. -You might qualify for a tax deduction if your elderly parent is your dependent. See IRS Publication 501. -In a few states, Medicaid has a program called Cash and Counseling. Payment can be senddirectlytoyou.Gotohttp://medicaid.gov/and chose your state. Investigate the National Family Caregiv-er Support Program (www.aoa.gov), part of the OlderAmericansActof1965.Thisprogrampro-vides support to family members caring for any-one age 60 and older or any adult with dementia. You might be eligible for counseling, training, home modifications and respite care. Look inyour area for Area Agency on Aging. Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will in-corporate them into her column whenever pos-sible. Write to her in care of King Fea-tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail.com.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

DOLPHINS(continued):A PROBLEM Dolphins frequently hang out with schools of tuna. Fishing for tuna used to entail onlypolesandlines,butinthe1960s,thetunafleets switched to mile-long nets called purseseines that are wrapped around an entire school andclosed likeadraw-stringpurse.Unable toreach the surface, dolphins drown. When one member of their pod becomes entangled in a net, theotherdolphinsstaytohelpitratherthanflee-ing. This causes many more to die. The popula-tion of spinner dolphins decreased by 80 percent inthe1970sduetotunafishing.Mostmajortunacompanies now purchase "dolphin-safe" tuna. The price was raised by a few cents to cover the cost of new nets which would allow dolphins to escape.Unfortunately,someforeigntunacom-panies still use the old methods. Furthermore, many people in the world consider dolphin meat a delicacy.DOLPHIN TO THE RESCUE • Sailors in the late 1800s came to de-pend on a generous porpoise known as Jack to guide them through the French Pass, a dangerous rocky waterway off the coast of New Zealand. Jack piloted every ship that came through the treacherous currents until 1903,when a drunkpassenger on a ship called the Penguin shot and wounded him. Fortunately, Jack recovered and resumed his duties. For an additional nine years, he guided all ships- all except the Penguin. •In1999when5-year-oldElianGonza-les found himself alone and adrift at sea after his mother and her companions drowned while escaping from Cuba, he survived by clinging to afloatinginnertube.Whenrescuersfoundhim,he was surrounded by dolphins who had broken waves for him and driven away sharks for the twoterribledayshefloatedaloneintheocean.

Page 5For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674For Advertising Call 208-755-9120www.tidbitscda.com

by Samantha Weaver ¥ It was Simon Cameron, who served as secretary of war under President Abraham Lincoln, who made the following sage observa-tion:"Anhonestpoliticianisonewho,whenheis bought, will stay bought." ¥ You might not be surprised to learn that some people who play video games can be-come rather obsessed. In 2007, one such person, a 45-year-old gamer, used a Japanese sword to rob a lingerie shop. He was apprehended, and when he was put on trial, he told the judge that at the time of the robbery he believed he was a female elf. ¥ It's common knowledge that meth-ane, a greenhouse gas, contributes to the rise in global temperatures. It's less well-known, however, that 20 percent of the world's methane emissions comes from livestock and their, well ... emissions. ¥ Many professional matchmakers say that one should never date a person who is younger than half one's age, plus seven years. ¥ The average human walks approxi-mately 100,000 miles in the course of a lifetime. If that walking were done in a straight line on the equator, you would circle the Earth four times. ¥Intheearly1990s,acoupleinMilwau-kee was curious about the value of a painting they had displayed in their home, so they invited an art expert to evaluate the piece. The paint-ing in question turned out to be of little relative value, but the expert noticed another work, a stilllifewithflowers,thattheownersbelievedto be a reproduction of a Van Gogh. Imagine this couple's surprise when the work turned out to be an original 1886 painting, which later sold at auction for $1.4 million.***ThoughtfortheDay:"Abrideathersecondwedding does not wear a veil because she wants to see what she is getting." -- Anonymous

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 6 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com

Page 7For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674For Advertising Call 208-755-9120www.tidbitscda.com

Are You an MVP? The Department of Veterans Affairs has been working on a huge database to study how genes affect health. The project is going to be hugewhenfinished.TheVAOfficeofResearch& Development has now passed the 100,000 mark in the number of volunteer veterans who have signed up to be part of the program. Within the next six years, it expects more than 1 million veterans to sign up. The Million Veteran Program (MVP) is designed to be a database accessible by re-searchers who are studying all the diseases and illnesses that have struck veterans through theyears:diabetes,cancer,posttraumaticstress disorder, heart disease and others. The goals are to learn new ways of treat-ing and preventing illnesses, discover why cer-tain individuals are more prone to developing certain diseases and to study why certain medi-cines work better than others. Participation is easy.You’llfilloutaform,allowaccesstoyourVA medical records, provide a blood sample, take a test for grip strength and lung function, and not much more. For more informa-tion, go online to www.research.va.gov/MVP. Additionally, there’s a video at the site if youwant to learn more about MVP. Privacy is a big deal. No researcherwill have access to your name, address, birth date or Social Security number. They’ll use bar codesonyoursamplessoyou’renotidentified.Insurance companies won’t have any access to the data. There are 40 sign-up locations across the country, listed and linked on the website. If you receive health care at one of those sites, you can schedule an appointment by calling 1-866-441-6075, or talk to your local clinic. A study visit only takes about 20 minutes. Will you be one of the million whohelps this project?

Write to Freddy Groves in care ofKingFeaturesWeeklyService,P.O.

Box536475,Orlando,FL32853-6475,orsende-mailto columnreply@gmail.com.© 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.