vol. 1 issue 17
DESCRIPTION
Vol. 1 Issue 17TRANSCRIPT
JBurke Publishing For Ad Rates call: (206) 902-7557 www.tidbitsofsno-king.com
December 20-26, 2012
This Tidbits examines ornaments used during the holidays. Some are historical, most beautiful, many breakable, and plenty just fun!
• One of the dictionary definitions for or-namental is: decorative: serving as a deco-ration and having no practical use.
• Historically it is said that the holiday tradition of decorating Christmas trees started in Germany. The first decorations were simple white candles followed by roses a bit later.
• In 1605, a groundbreaking moment oc-curred when a tree in Strasbourg, France, a city on the Rhine River near the German border, was brought inside for decorat-ing. It was adorned with paper roses, nuts, wafers, sweets and lighted candles. After this, more trees were brought indoors and making ornaments became a family holi-day tradition.
• Much imagination was used to come up with thoughtful and creative decorations, including cookies and painted eggshells. The introduction of tinsel in 1610 was a huge favorite, originally made with pure silver.
• One of the first Christmas trees in Eng-land was an 1840 Royal Family celebration when Queen Victoria included a tree in honor of her German-born husband Prince Albert’s heritage. Being the great inf lu-ence that she was, many people wanted their own trees!
turn the page for more!
Vol. 1 Issue 17
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Page 2 Tidbits® of Dallas CountyTidbits® of Sno-King Counties
• Many of the ornaments in the early years of decorating trees were handmade from paper, cloth or even foods, such as cookies. Hand-stitched snowf lakes were also very popular.
• Special items that emerged for decorat-ing trees in America were cranberries and popcorn. Early Americans would string the readily available, colorful foods for trim-ming their trees.
• President Franklin Pierce was the first U.S. president to have a Christmas tree in the White House, in 1856. The first “na-tional” Christmas tree erected was by Pres-ident Woodrow Wilson in 1913. However, the first “official” tree was not switched on complete with electric lights until President Calvin Coolidge moved the tree to its loca-tion near the White House in 1923.
• Up until the 1880s Christmas orna-ments were mainly handmade by families and friends and given as gifts. Many were disposed of after a season. The only orna-ments sold publicly were hand-cast lead and hand-blown glass German decorations.
• German entrepreneurs saw the possibil-ity of a market developing for mass mar-keted ornaments in the early1880s.
• Lauscha, Germany became the hub of the glass ornament business and had many glass companies. For years they had been producing glass articles such as marbles and bottles and soon began creating glass molds for ornaments. Their first ornaments were molds of Christian saints, famous people, children, animals and more. These new ornaments were a huge success and were in demand. Nearly every family in the Lauscha area became involved in the busi-ness of making glass Christmas ornaments either in a home-based foundry or local factory
• Ornaments became highly prized pos-sessions with the special touches of indi-vidual craftsmanship. Germany captured the world market for glass Christmas orna-ments for many years.
• Another German city, Dresden, near Lauscha, started its own ornament busi-nesses, different from the glass ornaments of their neighbors. The Dresden artists constructed brightly colored designs of birds, fish and other animals out of pressed and embossed paper. Their treasures were a hit as well; for weddings, birthdays and other occasions in addition to Christmas.
• As the decorations gained popularity in the United States, F.W. Woolworth, an early American mass merchandiser, began importing German glass ornaments in the 1880s. By 1890, he was reportedly selling approximately $25 million worth of the ornaments!
• When World War I broke out in 1914 many things, including sentiments to-ward purchases of Christmas ornaments, changed. There was a backlash against all things German. Sales and production of German ornaments slowed, but only for a while.
turn the page for more!
Happy Holidays Tidbits Readers!
Look for lots of fun puzzles, comics and holiday-themed articles in this week’s Tidbits including our giving guide on page 4 with a list of local businesses accepting donations for various causes.
And of course we want to know who was watching our Seahawks last week? What a great game! All we want for Christmas is for the Seahawks to beat the 49ers on Sunday - who’s cheering them on with us?
From our family to yours, we are wishing you a very Merry Christmas and hope that the holiday brings your family peace and joy. See you next week to talk about those important resolutions for 2013!
Merry Christmas!
Harrison and Jennifer BurkeOwners/PublishersJBurke Publishing
(206) 902-7557
A Note from the EditorsIT’S ORNAMENTAL
(continued):
Want to see your ad here?
Call us! (206) 902-7557Harrison & Jennifer Burke
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Cocktail Meatballs
Page 3For Advertising Call (206) 902-7557
• Also, Japan started producing orna-ments on a huge scale in the 1920s and took a slice out of the ornament market that Germany held. The Japanese special-ized in newer and more colorful designs. The Czech Republic also became known for their fancy Christmas ornaments and shipped many to the U.S.
• More than 250 million Christmas orna-ments were being imported to America by 1935, mostly from Germany, Japan, and the Czech Republic. This was when U.S. businessman and German immigrant, Max Eckhardt, an importer of ornaments, knew that America needed to be producing, not just importing.
• Eckhardt and Bill Thompson of the F.W. Woolworth Company worked together to convince the Corning Glass Company of Corning, New York to enter the ornament market. Corning had been making thou-sands of light bulbs out of very thin glass using a “ribbon” glassblowing machine. The machine could produce 2,000 bulbs per minute! Eckhardt believed the machine could be altered to produce Christmas or-naments instead of light bulbs.
• Corning began trials with their equip-ment and employees, making ornaments in various shapes and sizes. Soon, it was clear they had the equipment and abilities for the job. Woolworth’s requested produc-tion of over 230,000 glass holiday items for their stores. In 1939 they began selling the American-made ornaments.
• By 1940, Corning Glass was produc-ing nearly 300,000 decorations per day and shipping them all over the U.S. Corn-ing actually sold most of their ornaments to Shiny Brite, a company owned by Max Eckhardt. Eckhardt’s business was so big, he had four New Jersey locations and his main office and display room in New York City.
• Eckhardt’s Shiny Brite factories con-tinued making glass Christmas balls and decorations throughout World War II. They used innovative solutions when products were rationed. When metal paints and var-nish were not available, the company would use lighter paints and cardboard instead of the usual metal tops and heavy paint.
• In the post-war era, Shiny Brite be-gan using vibrant hues and used metal tops again for their ornaments. They were stamped to show that Shiny Brite orna-ments were U.S.- made! The boxes were even marked “American made.” These are valuable collectibles today.
IT’S ORNAMENTAL (continued):
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IT’S ORNAMENTAL(continued):
Pickle relish adds a zippy sweetness to these cocktail meatballs, guaran-teed to be a party favorite.
1 pound ground beef chuck1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs1/2 cup finely chopped green onions3 tablespoons relish1 large egg1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 18-by-12-inch jelly-roll pan with foil.2. In large bowl, combine ingredi-ents until well-mixed. With heaping teaspoon of mixture, shape 3/4-inch meatball and place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining mixture, spac-ing meatballs 1/2 inch apart. Bake 20 minutes or until browned. Makes 64 meatballs.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhouse-keeping.com/recipefinder/.
(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved
Cocktail Meatballs
• It was beloved American film star Katharine Hepburn who made the following sage ob-servation: “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expecting to give -- which is everything.”
• You might be surprised to learn that one out of every 18 people has a third nipple.
• The epic 1939 film “Gone With the Wind” was awarded 10 Academy Awards and is a beloved classic to this day. Given the as-tounding success of the movie, it’s shocking that one of the stars, Vivien Leigh, was paid only $15,000 for her role as Scarlett O’Hara.
• The world’s smallest spider is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
• You may not realize it, but not all “light” beers have fewer calories than brews without that label. A beer simply has to be lighter in color to be called “light.”
• The African ostrich lays an egg that weighs a whopping 30 pounds. It’s so sturdy that a grown man can stand on it without causing it any harm.
• When the Titanic sank in 1912, many pas-sengers perished in the frigid waters because no ship came to their aid until the Carpathia arrived more than two hours after the disas-ter. However, there was another ship nearby as the liner sank: a freighter, the California, was only 10 miles away. The crew even saw emergency flares fired from the liner, but they thought it was part of a celebration rather than a signal of distress.
• Although a normal human infant is born with 350 bones, the normal human adult has only 206 bones.
***
Thought for the Day: “I’m an excellent house-keeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house.” -- Zsa Zsa Gabor
© 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
by Samantha WeaverPICKS OF THE WEEK
“Frankenweenie” (PG) -- Victor Frankenstein is a boy who loves his dog, Sparky. When Sparky is tragically killed in an accident, Victor is dis-traught. So Victor gets the idea to stitch up the dead dog and use science resurrect his best friend. You see, Victor is an oddball character in a creepy, stop-motion animated, black-and-white world created by Tim Burton.This story is sort of a pet project for Burton. He made a live-action version of this same idea in the ‘80s when he worked at Disney -- it didn’t get much of a release. With experience, lots of money and the creative control that comes with making lots of money, Burton makes “Franken-weenie” a clever, creepy flick with an entertain-ing escalation.
“Dredd” (R) -- In the grim, gray future, much of the U.S. East Coast is combined into a single, crime-ridden mega-city. The Judges are super-cops with authority to be judge, jury and ex-ecutioner all at once. Dredd (celebrated B-level action star Karl Urban) is the best Judge in the force -- he excels at deciding to kill bad guys and then killing them right away. In this movie, Dredd and his rookie sidekick get trapped in a giant super-slum full of drug pushers.It doesn’t have the legendary lousiness of 1995’s “Judge Dredd,” so you might not get as many laughs. This new Dredd has a different sense of humor, and enough to add a few chuckles to the ceaseless violence. There also are plenty of nifty visual flourishes (and it’s convenient that the movie’s fictional drug makes users see the world in slow-motion.)
“Hit & Run” (R) -- This is one of those movies with just a godawful mess of plot, but there’s lots of snappy dialogue, car chases and on-screen chemistry to keep it going. Charlie (Dax Shepard, writer and co-director) is a former getaway driver, now in witness protection. His girlfriend, Annie (Kristen Bell) is beautiful and smart and unaware of his past. Bradley Cooper shows up as Charlie’s former partner in crime, come to take revenge (that must happen a lot).
DOG OF THE WEEK“Stolen” (R) -- A man with a violent past finds that his daughter has been taken by bad guys, and he must go on a whirlwind tour of butt-kicking to bring her back. Too bad this isn’t Liam Neeson’s “Taken” or “Taken 2,” because either of them would be way better than this lump. Nicolas Cage plays a thief who has to steal $10 million to get his daughter back from her kidnap-per -- Cage’s former partner in crime. Cage tries to add a few touches, but it’s a boring movie and he knows it.
TV RELEASES“3rd Rock From the Sun -- Season 5”
“Archer: Season Three”“Idiot Abroad: Season 2”
“Dance Moms: Season 2 Volume 1”“Dallas: The Complete First Season”
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 4 Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties
Fruit cake has been baked as a holiday treat since at least the 16th century – and maybe before. Some think the same cake has traveled the globe many times and no one wants to eat it!• Fruitcake, sometimes spelled as one word, other times as two, is defined as: “ 1) a rich cake containing nuts, dried or candied fruits, and spices; also as: 2) a foolish, eccentric, or crazy person.” • The earliest known recipe for fruitcake that exists was from ancient Rome. Among the ingredients were pomegranate seeds, raisins, and pine nuts, mixed in a barley mash. Later, honey, preserved fruits and spices were added. • Because fruitcake’s dense consistency and its longevity allowed for it to be held for many days, early hunters and warriors took it with them on long journeys. • In 16th century Europe, fruitcakes were baked at the end of the nut harvest and saved until the begin-ning of the following year’s harvest. The thought was that this would help bring another successful harvest the next year. Europeans also referred to fruitcake as plum cake and it was reserved for special occasions because it was so “sinfully rich.” It later became an essential serving for Victorian tea time. • In 18th century England, a belief arose that if un-married wedding guests put a slice of fruitcake under their pillow at night they would dream of who they were destined to marry. • December is National Fruit Cake Month and Clax-ton, Georgia is the Fruit Cake Capital of the World. • Even though fruit cake is and has been the butt of many jokes for years, Albert Parker saw a fine prod-uct with a future when he purchased the Claxton Bakery in 1945.
From Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties
• The Claxton Bakery was opened in 1910 by Savino Tos, an Italian immigrant who had moved to Georgia from New York City. He operated the bakery until 1945 when he sold the business to Albert, who had worked there since he was 11 years old. • When Albert noticed that grocery stores were starting to sell fresh bread and other bakery items on their shelves, he knew that he needed to do some-thing to set his bakery apart. He decided to specialize in the “high quality fruit cake” that townspeople had been enjoying during the holiday season each year. In the first year that his company mass produced fruit cakes, Parker and his small crew of employees baked 45,000 pounds (20,412 kg) of Claxton Fruit Cakes! • Even if you think you don’t like fruit cake, maybe you should try a Claxton specialty. Look for the cakes with a unique horse and buggy label. They are sold by mail order and in many stores every year during the holidays. They are also used for fundraising by more than 1,000 civic organizations in the U.S. The Civitan Club of Tampa, Florida first started the fund-raising tradition in the early 1950s. • The term “nutty as a fruitcake” was coined in 1935 when some American bakeries with access to cheaper nuts started adding larger quantities of nuts to their cakes. Claxton Fruit Cakes are “approximately 70% choice fruits and nuts.”• By the way, December 27th is National Fruit-cake Day. Also, just so you are aware, there is an internet web presence for “The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Fruitcake!”
Fruitcake
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3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate1 1/2 cups of waterDash of salt4 1/2 cups of milk
1. Heat chocolate and water in 1 1/2 quart sauce-pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melt-ed and mixture is smooth2. Stir in sugar and salt. Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered 4 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in milk. Heat just until
hot (do not boil, because skin will form on top).3. Beat with hand beater until foamy, or stir until smooth. Serve.
Christmas BonusHot Chocolate Recipe
Page 5For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674(206) 902-7557
Seattle Seahawks Schedule
Dec. 23 Seahawks vs. 49ersDec. 30 Seahawks vs. Rams
FAMOUS LANDMARKSOF THE WORLD:
MOUNT EVEREST Mount Everest is the highest mountain on earth at 29,029 feet (8848 m) above sea level. The National Geographic Society has determined the mountain to be even taller by six feet (1.83 m), but that height has not been made official yet.
• Mount Everest is in what is called the Sagarmatha Zone of Nepal, in the Himala-ya Mountains, on the border with Tibet and China. Sagarmatha is the Nepalese name for the mountain, meaning “the head in the great blue sky.”
• Scientists say that the shifting of tectonic plates in the region continue to push the whole Himalaya mountain range higher by 1.6-3.9 inches (4-10 cm) per year.
• Mount Everest was originally named “Peak XV” (15) by Sir George Everest, who first recorded the location in 1841. He was Surveyor General of India from 1830-1843 and in 1865 the name was changed to honor him.
• There are records of expeditions try-ing to ascend Mount Everest as far back as 1924. The first successful summit was not achieved until Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top on May 29, 1953.
• That first ascent was via the first of fif-teen routes that have been mapped to the top. Since that ascent there have been more than 3000 people who have reached the
summit over 5000 times. More than 75% of those climbs have been since the year 2000. The popularity of extreme sports and the availability of guides and travel privi-leges for many people have made mountain climbs of this caliber a reality for more people.
• Mount Everest is not a very hospitable place for man or animals. In ascending to the top, as the altitude increases, the oxygen levels decrease. Consider that at 9,800 feet (2987 m) the oxygen present is only about 2/3 of what it is at sea level. At 20,000 feet (6096 m), the level is down to roughly half. By the time the summit of Everest is reached at 29,035 feet (8850 m) (the new figure for its height) the oxygen is severely depleted to only about 1/3 of the normal at sea level.
• The low oxygen is why climbers stop at camps along the way to acclimatize so they can breathe in the high altitude. Base camp is set at 17,500 feet (5,400 m) and then there are four other camps along the way before reaching the summit.
• Another thing that is done, that seems counterintuitive, is that climbers move up and down again for about 30 days allow-ing their bodies to get accustomed to the reduced oxygen; all part of the acclimatiza-tion.
• Sherpas have been guiding expeditions on Mount Everest since the first ascents many years ago. Sherpas are a group of Himalayan people who live in Nepal and Tibet, usually Buddhists, who are famous for their skills as mountain guides. Good Sherpas are essential for successful trips
up Everest and other mountains in the Himalayas. They are aware of the needs, including the acclimatization, of the climb-ers they assist.
• Along with the low oxygen on Ever-est, another major challenge is the strong winds. The blast of the jet stream is almost always present, with winds reaching hur-ricane force at times; sometimes more than 118 miles/hour (190 km/hr). The best times for climbing to the summit are in early May and a few days in the fall.
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Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 6 Tidbits® of Sno-King Counties
1. When was the last time the Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs but not the World Series?
2. In 2012, Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox tied the mark for most career Opening Day home runs (eight). Who else holds the record?
3. Name the first Heisman Trophy winner to later be named a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.
4. In 2011, Tom Thibodeau tied the record for most victories by a first-year NBA coach (62). Who else holds the mark?
5. When was the last time before 2011-12 that the Montreal Canadiens finished last in their conference?
6. Name the last time before 2012 that Great Britain won an Olympic team medal in men’s gymnastics.
7. Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson tied a record in 2012 for biggest victory in a Ryder Cup match. What was their margin of victory?
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1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a formicary?
2. ASTRONOMY: Which planet has two moons called Titania and Oberon?
3. GAMES: What is the color of St. James Place in the game “Monopoly”?
4. LANGUAGE: What does the Greek word “platypus” mean?
5. MEDICINE: What is a more common name for the condition called odontalgia?
6. GEOGRAPHY: The island nation of Mada-gascar lies off the coast of which conti-nent?
7. INVENTIONS: Who invented the modern ballpoint pen?
8. MEASUREMENTS: How many gallons are contained in a firkin?
9. MYTHOLOGY: Who was the daughter of King Minos who helped Theseus to escape from the Labyrinth?
10. MOVIES: What was the name of the wom-en’s baseball team in “A League of Their Own”?
1. The scientific name for an anthill2. Uranus3. Orange4. Flat-footed5. A toothache6. Africa7. Laszlo Biro8. 9 gallons9. Ariadne10. Rockford Peaches
Page 8 Tidbits® of Dallas CountyTidbits® of Sno-King Counties
1. In 1991, the Blue Jays lost in the American League Championship Series to Minnesota.2. Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Robinson.3. Roger Staubach won a Heisman (Navy, 1963) and a Super Bowl MVP (Dallas, 1971 season).4. Paul Westphal won 62 with Phoenix in 1993.5. It was 1939-40 season.6. It was 1912.7. Seven holes up with six to play.
© 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
• To stretch your laundry budget, cut fabric softener sheets in half. They work just as well. Also, save them af-ter they come out of the dryer. They make excellent dusters in the home.
• Love Sudoku puzzles? M.K. of Mon-tana suggests that you might love it even more if you color code your grid. Each number 1-9 is assigned a color, and you solve the puzzle as normal, excepting you color in the box to denote your answer. When it’s all finished, she says, “it looks like a colorful quilt.”
• If the vegetables you’re cooking give off an unpleasant smell, grab a small saucepan and simmer a bit of plain vinegar while cooking. It will ne-gate the smell, and leave your house smelling pleasantly like mealtime af-terward.
• “Cornstarch is great for itchy, rashy skin. This is true for babies’ bottoms and for doggy bellies, which is what I use it for. My pup is allergic to grass but loves to romp. Sometimes his belly gets red, and I clean it with a mild soap and water, then give him a cornstarch rub. It sure helps.” -- T.W. in Ohio
• Want to keep your cut flowers fresh longer? Add a teaspoon of chlorine bleach to the water and change it out every few days.
• Spruce up indoor greenery with a little mineral oil. To get your green plants’ leaves shining and healthy, wipe them down with a clean cloth dipped in mineral oil. Rub off any ex-cess.
Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at [email protected].
Paying off a mortgage early can be as easy as making an extra principal payment each month. That money goes to the end of the mortgage term, and cancels the interest that would be due then. Making extra payments, especially early in a mortgage, can have stunning results, with years shaved off the length of the mortgage.When it comes to paying off a mortgage early, however, there are those who are strongly on one side of the fence or the other. While some claim it’s a great idea, others say it’s not. Here are the arguments on both sides.Don’t pay off a mortgage early:--You’ll lose the mortgage interest deduction on your taxes.--You’ll miss out on the low mortgage rates available now.--You may be hit with pre-payment penalties. (Read the fine print on your loan papers, especially if you have a refinance. Does it say that you’ll incur a penalty if you pay off early?)
--You won’t have spare cash for emergencies if you spend it all on extra mortgage payments.Pay off a mortgage early:--The mortgage is typically the largest monthly payment a consumer makes. Once the mortgage is paid off, you’ll have the room to pursue other financial interests, including putting it all in savings or paying off other debt.--You’ll own your home. As long as you keep up with taxes, insurance and repairs, the home is yours.The truth is that your individual situation will indicate whether it’s good for you to pay off a mortgage. Some thoughts to consider:If you hope to retire at a certain time and know your retire-ment income will make it hard for you to continue making mortgage payments, it makes sense to pay off the mortgage while your income is still adequate to do so.If you can save for your children’s college, put money into savings and still put extra money on your mortgage, it makes sense to pay early.Go online to mortgage calculators and do a few “what if” scenarios to see how many years can be shaved off your mortgage with varying extra payments. Even an extra $50 will have visible results.At the time of this writing, it’s being discussed whether to cancel the mortgage interest tax deduction on the Schedule A. Keep an eye on this. Your real savings from having a mort-gage interest deduction depend on your tax bracket.
SHOULD YOU PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE EARLY?
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