Quotable
by Julia Roberts, actor
"You know it's love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you are not part of their happiness."
Table Tidbits
Marinara sauce originated in Naples and comes from the Italian word "marinaro," meaning "sailor."
Still on the Books
In Devon, Conn., it is unlawful to walk backward after sunset.
Name Change
Female chickens are called pullets until they're old enough to lay eggs and become hens.
Back Then
The first baseballs were made by cobblers from the rubber remnants of old shoes.
State Stats
Graceland, Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Tenn., is the second-most-visited house in the U.S.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
What's happened to major league pitchers?
by Jerry Jonas
For five innings, I had twice walked the nearly-empty upper-deck grandstands of Shibe Park (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium) hawking a large tray loaded with dozens of Goldenbergs Peanut Chews.
Satisfied I had probably sold my quota of those 5-cent delights for the day, I settled comfortably into a seat overlooking the Philadelphia A's dugout to enjoy the game.
It was a relatively warm Saturday afternoon ----- July 21, 1945 ----- and the war with Germany had been over for more than two months, and in just over three weeks, the war with Japan would come to a violent end following the dropping of atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.
As a 14-year-old soon to enter my first year of high school, I was engaged in a summer job selling candy and soft drinks at the ballpark.
With a pass to see every A's and Phillies game (and I saw most of them), I was the envy of all the kids in my Kensington neighborhood.
I'd sell my wares for four or five innings, then take a seat and watch the game. Andwith a number of the ballplayers who had been serving in the military for the past four years being discharged and returning to their old teams, it was an interesting time for any baseball fan.
Two-time Most Valuable Player and future Hall of Fame slugger Hank Greenberg had served four years in the Army Air Force and was back full time in the lineup of the Detroit Tigers.
On that muggy day, with the first-place Tigers in town to play the last-place A's in the first of a four-game series, and with my selling chores completed, I was looking forward to possibly watching Greenberg knock one or more baseballs out of the park.
But I was in for a total surprise.
On that day, I wouldn't witness any slugging heroics. What I would get to see was a record-setting game and an unbelievable pitching performance I've never forgotten.
As I settled comfortably into my seat and perused my 10-cent scorecard, I was aware the A's had already scored a run in the third inning against Tigers starting pitcher Les Mueller. For the A's, submarine sinkerball pitcher Russ Christopher ---- then the ace of their staff ----- was on the mound and so far had held the Tigers scoreless.
In the eighth inning, the Tigers' Doc Cramer knocked in a run to tie the score.
That would be the last run for either team for the rest of the game. For the next 16 innings, the Shibe Park scorekeeper would hang nothing but a series of zeroes for both teams.
The game would go on for 24 innings and eventually be called for darkness, with neither team managing to send another run across the plate.
Christopher would pitch 13 of those innings for the A's before being lifted, and his reliever, Joe Berry, would throw 11. Unbelievably, Mueller would continue to throw for the Tigers until there were two outs in the 20th inning.
Christopher had to have thrown at least 150 pitches, while Mueller's pitches probably exceeded 200.
In future years, I would see several other pitching performances that seem incredible by today's standards.
Two come especially to mind.
For five innings, I had twice walked the nearly-empty upper-deck grandstands of Shibe Park (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium) hawking a large tray loaded with dozens of Goldenbergs Peanut Chews.
Satisfied I had probably sold my quota of those 5-cent delights for the day, I settled comfortably into a seat overlooking the Philadelphia A's dugout to enjoy the game.
It was a relatively warm Saturday afternoon ----- July 21, 1945 ----- and the war with Germany had been over for more than two months, and in just over three weeks, the war with Japan would come to a violent end following the dropping of atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.
As a 14-year-old soon to enter my first year of high school, I was engaged in a summer job selling candy and soft drinks at the ballpark.
With a pass to see every A's and Phillies game (and I saw most of them), I was the envy of all the kids in my Kensington neighborhood.
I'd sell my wares for four or five innings, then take a seat and watch the game. Andwith a number of the ballplayers who had been serving in the military for the past four years being discharged and returning to their old teams, it was an interesting time for any baseball fan.
Two-time Most Valuable Player and future Hall of Fame slugger Hank Greenberg had served four years in the Army Air Force and was back full time in the lineup of the Detroit Tigers.
On that muggy day, with the first-place Tigers in town to play the last-place A's in the first of a four-game series, and with my selling chores completed, I was looking forward to possibly watching Greenberg knock one or more baseballs out of the park.
But I was in for a total surprise.
On that day, I wouldn't witness any slugging heroics. What I would get to see was a record-setting game and an unbelievable pitching performance I've never forgotten.
As I settled comfortably into my seat and perused my 10-cent scorecard, I was aware the A's had already scored a run in the third inning against Tigers starting pitcher Les Mueller. For the A's, submarine sinkerball pitcher Russ Christopher ---- then the ace of their staff ----- was on the mound and so far had held the Tigers scoreless.
In the eighth inning, the Tigers' Doc Cramer knocked in a run to tie the score.
That would be the last run for either team for the rest of the game. For the next 16 innings, the Shibe Park scorekeeper would hang nothing but a series of zeroes for both teams.
The game would go on for 24 innings and eventually be called for darkness, with neither team managing to send another run across the plate.
Christopher would pitch 13 of those innings for the A's before being lifted, and his reliever, Joe Berry, would throw 11. Unbelievably, Mueller would continue to throw for the Tigers until there were two outs in the 20th inning.
Christopher had to have thrown at least 150 pitches, while Mueller's pitches probably exceeded 200.
In future years, I would see several other pitching performances that seem incredible by today's standards.
Two come especially to mind.
POP QUIZ (My Country)
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to answer a series of general questions about those events...........well, it can be surprisingly tricky. Even when the subject is as familiar as the U.S.A. Sure, we're a young country; but there's still 237 years of history to master. Plus, America is really big! From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, there's just so much to know. But fear not, myfellow Americans: This quiz provides a refresher on our nation's history, geography, arts, and sciences, just in time for the Fourth.
So grab a pencil, take a deep breath, and see how much star-spangled trivia you really know.
1. Three of these foreign-sounding foods are actually American in origin. Which ones?
a) German chocolate cake
b) French fries
c) Russian dressing
d) Chinese chicken salad
e) Danish pastries
f) English muffins
2. The Stature of Liberty, dedicated in 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of what nation?
3. Can you, the people, put these constitutional amendments in correct numerical order?
a) Women receive the right to vote
b) Freedom of speech is protected
c) Prohibition is repealed
d) The right to a jury trial is established
e) Slavery is abolished
f) The voting age is lowered to 18
4. Do you recognize the first words communicated by these technologies?
Match the medium to its message.
(1) Samuel Morse's commercial telegraph
(2) Alexander Graham Bell's telephone
(3) Feature film with synchronized dialogue
(4) YouTube video
(a) "All right, so here we are in front of the elephants."
(b) "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain't heard nothin' yet."
(c) "Mr. Watson, come here----I want to see you."
(d) "What hath God wrought?"
5. Which of the following products did botanist and inventor George Washington Carver make from peanuts?
a) Shampoo
b) Fake oysters
c) Fruit drink mix
d) Nitroglycerine
e) Insecticide
f) Printer's ink
6. Sequoyah is a hero of the Cherokee people because in 1821 he gave them what?
a) A decisive victory over the U.S. Cavalry
b) An elected government
c) A major land grant
d) A written language
7. Abner Doubleday is sometimes called the inventor of baseball. That's not true, but what was Doubleday's real historical claim to fame?
a) He ordered the first Union shots of the Civil War
b) He purchased Alaska from Russia
c) He was the only survior of the Alamo
d) He mapped the Oregon Trail
8. Match each president to his administration's domestic policy program.
(1) Franklin D. Roosevelt a) The New Frontier
(2) Theodore Roosevelt b) The New Deal
(3) Harry Truman c) The Square Deal
(4) John F. Kennedy d) The Great Society
(5) Lyndon B. Johnson e) The Fair Deal
9. The man on the $10 bill was never president. So why is he on the bill?
a) He was the first secretary of the Treasury.
b) He was chief justice of the Supreme Court
c) He said, "Give me liberty or give me death"
d) he was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence
10. Match these fabled Old West gunslingers to their real names.
(1) Billy the Kid a) Myra Shirley
(2) Butch Cassidy b) Robert Parker
(3) Calamity Jane c) Martha Canary
(4) Buffalo Bill d) William McCarty
(5) Belle Starr e) William Cody
(6) Annie Oakley f) Phoebe Moses
11. The Oscar for Best Picture has gone to a western ----- that quintessential American movie genre ------ only three times. Which of these classics was not a winner?
a) High Noon
b) Unforgiven
c) Dances With Wolves
d) Cimarron
12. The famous long glissando that opens composer George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is played on what instrument?
a) Harp
b) Clarinet
c) Trumpet
d) Violin
13. Why was lyricist Francis Scott Key present at the British bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry the night he conceived "The Star-Spangled Banner"?
a) He was a militia member defending the fort.
b) He was a lawyer negotiating the release of a prisoner.
c) He was a doctor treating the wounded.
d) He was a barber cutting the British admiral's hair.
14. How much do you know about the fruits of America's literary labors? Complete each title with its missing ingredient.
(1) The House on ________ Street by Sandra Cisneros
(2) The _________ s of Wrath by John Steinbeck
(3) On the Banks of __________ Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(4) The Adventures of _________ Finn by Mark Twain
(5) A ___________ in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
a) Plum b) Raisin c) Mango d) Grape e) Huckleberry
15. 90 Percent of America's freshwater is contained in the Great Lakes. Put the lakes in order of the amount of water each holds (from the most gallons to the least).
a) Lake Erie b) Lake Huron c) Lake Michigan d) Lake Ontario e) Lake Superior
16. The tip of the Washington Monument was constructed out of a material that (at the time) was one of the rarest and most precious substances on earth. What is that material?
a) Celluloid plastic
b) Stainless Steel
c) Rubber
d) Aluminum
17. Houston, we have a problem: These milestones in American space exploration are all mixed up. Can you put them in chronolgical order?
a) First American space walk
b) First landing on an asteroid
c) First American woman in space
d) First man on the moon
e) First Mars orbiter
f) First multinational manned mission
18. The Salt and Start treaties that the U.S. signed between 1972 and 1991 were aimed at limiting what?
a) Nuclear weapons
b) Greenhouse gas emissions
c) Human rights violations
d) Tax dodging
19. True or False : George Washington decorated the White House personally, not even accepting help from his wife, Martha.
20. Complete this title of one of the most important memoirs of the 19th century : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass : An American __________
a) Admiral b) Tycoon c) Slave d) Poet
21. Who is the only woman ever to lie in honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol following her death?
a) Helen Keller b) Susan B. Anthony c) Rosa Parks d) Eleanor Roosevelt
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. a, c, d ; 2. France ; 3. b (First), d (Sixth), e (13th), a (19th), c (21st), f (26th) ; 4. (1) d, (2) c, (3) b, (4) a ; 5. All of them ;6. d ; 7. a ; 8. (1) b, (2) c, (3) e, (4) a, (5) d ; 9. a ; 10. (1) d, (2) b, (3) c, (4) e, (5) a, (6) f ; 11. a ; 12. b ; 13. b ; 14. (1) c, (2) d, (3) a, (4) e, (5) b ; 15. e, c, b, d, a (Lake Superior holds almost 3,000 cubic miles of water, more than the four other lakes put together) ; 16. d ; 17. a (1965) d (1969) e (1971) f (1975) c (1983) b (2001) ; 18. a ; 19. False ; 20. c ; 21. c
So grab a pencil, take a deep breath, and see how much star-spangled trivia you really know.
1. Three of these foreign-sounding foods are actually American in origin. Which ones?
a) German chocolate cake
b) French fries
c) Russian dressing
d) Chinese chicken salad
e) Danish pastries
f) English muffins
2. The Stature of Liberty, dedicated in 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of what nation?
3. Can you, the people, put these constitutional amendments in correct numerical order?
a) Women receive the right to vote
b) Freedom of speech is protected
c) Prohibition is repealed
d) The right to a jury trial is established
e) Slavery is abolished
f) The voting age is lowered to 18
4. Do you recognize the first words communicated by these technologies?
Match the medium to its message.
(1) Samuel Morse's commercial telegraph
(2) Alexander Graham Bell's telephone
(3) Feature film with synchronized dialogue
(4) YouTube video
(a) "All right, so here we are in front of the elephants."
(b) "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain't heard nothin' yet."
(c) "Mr. Watson, come here----I want to see you."
(d) "What hath God wrought?"
5. Which of the following products did botanist and inventor George Washington Carver make from peanuts?
a) Shampoo
b) Fake oysters
c) Fruit drink mix
d) Nitroglycerine
e) Insecticide
f) Printer's ink
6. Sequoyah is a hero of the Cherokee people because in 1821 he gave them what?
a) A decisive victory over the U.S. Cavalry
b) An elected government
c) A major land grant
d) A written language
7. Abner Doubleday is sometimes called the inventor of baseball. That's not true, but what was Doubleday's real historical claim to fame?
a) He ordered the first Union shots of the Civil War
b) He purchased Alaska from Russia
c) He was the only survior of the Alamo
d) He mapped the Oregon Trail
8. Match each president to his administration's domestic policy program.
(1) Franklin D. Roosevelt a) The New Frontier
(2) Theodore Roosevelt b) The New Deal
(3) Harry Truman c) The Square Deal
(4) John F. Kennedy d) The Great Society
(5) Lyndon B. Johnson e) The Fair Deal
9. The man on the $10 bill was never president. So why is he on the bill?
a) He was the first secretary of the Treasury.
b) He was chief justice of the Supreme Court
c) He said, "Give me liberty or give me death"
d) he was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence
10. Match these fabled Old West gunslingers to their real names.
(1) Billy the Kid a) Myra Shirley
(2) Butch Cassidy b) Robert Parker
(3) Calamity Jane c) Martha Canary
(4) Buffalo Bill d) William McCarty
(5) Belle Starr e) William Cody
(6) Annie Oakley f) Phoebe Moses
11. The Oscar for Best Picture has gone to a western ----- that quintessential American movie genre ------ only three times. Which of these classics was not a winner?
a) High Noon
b) Unforgiven
c) Dances With Wolves
d) Cimarron
12. The famous long glissando that opens composer George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is played on what instrument?
a) Harp
b) Clarinet
c) Trumpet
d) Violin
13. Why was lyricist Francis Scott Key present at the British bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry the night he conceived "The Star-Spangled Banner"?
a) He was a militia member defending the fort.
b) He was a lawyer negotiating the release of a prisoner.
c) He was a doctor treating the wounded.
d) He was a barber cutting the British admiral's hair.
14. How much do you know about the fruits of America's literary labors? Complete each title with its missing ingredient.
(1) The House on ________ Street by Sandra Cisneros
(2) The _________ s of Wrath by John Steinbeck
(3) On the Banks of __________ Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(4) The Adventures of _________ Finn by Mark Twain
(5) A ___________ in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
a) Plum b) Raisin c) Mango d) Grape e) Huckleberry
15. 90 Percent of America's freshwater is contained in the Great Lakes. Put the lakes in order of the amount of water each holds (from the most gallons to the least).
a) Lake Erie b) Lake Huron c) Lake Michigan d) Lake Ontario e) Lake Superior
16. The tip of the Washington Monument was constructed out of a material that (at the time) was one of the rarest and most precious substances on earth. What is that material?
a) Celluloid plastic
b) Stainless Steel
c) Rubber
d) Aluminum
17. Houston, we have a problem: These milestones in American space exploration are all mixed up. Can you put them in chronolgical order?
a) First American space walk
b) First landing on an asteroid
c) First American woman in space
d) First man on the moon
e) First Mars orbiter
f) First multinational manned mission
18. The Salt and Start treaties that the U.S. signed between 1972 and 1991 were aimed at limiting what?
a) Nuclear weapons
b) Greenhouse gas emissions
c) Human rights violations
d) Tax dodging
19. True or False : George Washington decorated the White House personally, not even accepting help from his wife, Martha.
20. Complete this title of one of the most important memoirs of the 19th century : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass : An American __________
a) Admiral b) Tycoon c) Slave d) Poet
21. Who is the only woman ever to lie in honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol following her death?
a) Helen Keller b) Susan B. Anthony c) Rosa Parks d) Eleanor Roosevelt
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. a, c, d ; 2. France ; 3. b (First), d (Sixth), e (13th), a (19th), c (21st), f (26th) ; 4. (1) d, (2) c, (3) b, (4) a ; 5. All of them ;6. d ; 7. a ; 8. (1) b, (2) c, (3) e, (4) a, (5) d ; 9. a ; 10. (1) d, (2) b, (3) c, (4) e, (5) a, (6) f ; 11. a ; 12. b ; 13. b ; 14. (1) c, (2) d, (3) a, (4) e, (5) b ; 15. e, c, b, d, a (Lake Superior holds almost 3,000 cubic miles of water, more than the four other lakes put together) ; 16. d ; 17. a (1965) d (1969) e (1971) f (1975) c (1983) b (2001) ; 18. a ; 19. False ; 20. c ; 21. c
Friday, July 5, 2013
Well, I declare!
The elementary school teacher stood before our third-grade class and asked what the Fourth of July represented. One kid said it was a day when he could eat as many hot dogs he wanted without his mom getting mad at him. Another recalled it as a time to hang the American flag on his front porch.
My favorite was the answer delivered with unintentional comedic precision by one of my best friends. As the teacher queried the class, he frantically waved his hand high in the air and shouted "Ooh! Ooh!" much like Arnold Horshack, the goofball "Sweathog" from the 1970s sitcom, "Welcome Back, Kotter."
When the teacher finally called on him, he slid out from his wooden desk, stood proudly and said, "It means the decoration of Independence!"
His hysterical malaprop aside, the kid wasn't entirely incorrect. What with the presenting of the stars and stripes and the tacking up of red, white and blue bunting, we indeed decorate our independence every July Fourth. It's a time-honored way Americans demonstrate their love of country.
We know hot dogs taste especially good off the grill that day. But how much do you truly know about the Declaration of Independence, the document that got the ball rolling 237 years ago? Yeah, yeah, we've memorized passages such as "When in the course of human events......." and "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." But can you name the first person to sign the declaration? Do you know which English king the document addressed? Do you know what the document was written on?
So, go ahead on Thursday, scarf down those hot dogs and wave those flags. But beforehand, take a few moments to find out how much, or little, you know about the document that started it all. I present the Independence Day 13, one head-stratching question for each colony.
1. Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
a) Pearl S. Buck
b) Thomas Jefferson
c) Benjamin Franklin
d) Benjamin Franklin Pierce
2. From which English philosopher did the declaration committee get ideas for the document?
a) John Locke
b) Sir Francis Bacon
c) Bernard Mayo
d) Nigel Mustard
3. Who was the first person in Congress to sign the declaration?
a) John Hancock
b) Francis Lightfoot Lee
c) Button Gwinnett
d) Richard Stockton
4. Who was the oldest signer of the declaration, at age 70?
a) John Adams
b) Samuel Adams
c) Bryan Adams
d) Benjamin Franklin
5. On what material was the original declaration written?
a) Paper
b) Wood
c) Stretched animal skin
d) Betsy Ross's apron
6. Which colony did not vote on the adoption of the declaration?
a) Pennsylvania
b) New Jersey
c) New York
d) New Hampshire
7. Which signers of the declaration died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day of its adoption?
a) Benjamin Franklin and John Stockton
b) Thomas Jefferson and Robert Morris
c) Benjamin Franklin and George Clymer
d) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
8. Where was Benjamin Franklin born?
a) Lancaster
b) Boston
c) Philadelphia
d) Hamden, Conn.
9. Which Oscar-winning actress is a direct descendant of one of the signers of the declaration?
a) Susan Sarandon
b) Reese Witherspoon
c) Jessica Lange
d) Jodie Foster
10. Who was the only Catholic to sign the declaration?
a) Charles Carroll
b) Thomas McKean
c) Elbridge Gerry
d) Thomas Lynch, Jr.
11. From which king of Great Britain was independence declared?
a) William I
b) George II
c) George III
d) James I
12. One in eight signers of the declaration hailed from which college/university?
a) University of Pennsylvania
b) Harvard University
c) Quachita Baptist (Conn.)
d) Virginia Trinity
13. What was the estimated population of America at the time of the declaration?
a) 2.5 million
b) 5 million
c) 6 million
d) 9 million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. b ; 2. a ; 3. a ; 4. d ; 5. c ; 6. c ; 7. d ; 8. b ; 9. b ; 10. a ; 11. c ; 12. b ; 13. a
My favorite was the answer delivered with unintentional comedic precision by one of my best friends. As the teacher queried the class, he frantically waved his hand high in the air and shouted "Ooh! Ooh!" much like Arnold Horshack, the goofball "Sweathog" from the 1970s sitcom, "Welcome Back, Kotter."
When the teacher finally called on him, he slid out from his wooden desk, stood proudly and said, "It means the decoration of Independence!"
His hysterical malaprop aside, the kid wasn't entirely incorrect. What with the presenting of the stars and stripes and the tacking up of red, white and blue bunting, we indeed decorate our independence every July Fourth. It's a time-honored way Americans demonstrate their love of country.
We know hot dogs taste especially good off the grill that day. But how much do you truly know about the Declaration of Independence, the document that got the ball rolling 237 years ago? Yeah, yeah, we've memorized passages such as "When in the course of human events......." and "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." But can you name the first person to sign the declaration? Do you know which English king the document addressed? Do you know what the document was written on?
So, go ahead on Thursday, scarf down those hot dogs and wave those flags. But beforehand, take a few moments to find out how much, or little, you know about the document that started it all. I present the Independence Day 13, one head-stratching question for each colony.
1. Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
a) Pearl S. Buck
b) Thomas Jefferson
c) Benjamin Franklin
d) Benjamin Franklin Pierce
2. From which English philosopher did the declaration committee get ideas for the document?
a) John Locke
b) Sir Francis Bacon
c) Bernard Mayo
d) Nigel Mustard
3. Who was the first person in Congress to sign the declaration?
a) John Hancock
b) Francis Lightfoot Lee
c) Button Gwinnett
d) Richard Stockton
4. Who was the oldest signer of the declaration, at age 70?
a) John Adams
b) Samuel Adams
c) Bryan Adams
d) Benjamin Franklin
5. On what material was the original declaration written?
a) Paper
b) Wood
c) Stretched animal skin
d) Betsy Ross's apron
6. Which colony did not vote on the adoption of the declaration?
a) Pennsylvania
b) New Jersey
c) New York
d) New Hampshire
7. Which signers of the declaration died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day of its adoption?
a) Benjamin Franklin and John Stockton
b) Thomas Jefferson and Robert Morris
c) Benjamin Franklin and George Clymer
d) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
8. Where was Benjamin Franklin born?
a) Lancaster
b) Boston
c) Philadelphia
d) Hamden, Conn.
9. Which Oscar-winning actress is a direct descendant of one of the signers of the declaration?
a) Susan Sarandon
b) Reese Witherspoon
c) Jessica Lange
d) Jodie Foster
10. Who was the only Catholic to sign the declaration?
a) Charles Carroll
b) Thomas McKean
c) Elbridge Gerry
d) Thomas Lynch, Jr.
11. From which king of Great Britain was independence declared?
a) William I
b) George II
c) George III
d) James I
12. One in eight signers of the declaration hailed from which college/university?
a) University of Pennsylvania
b) Harvard University
c) Quachita Baptist (Conn.)
d) Virginia Trinity
13. What was the estimated population of America at the time of the declaration?
a) 2.5 million
b) 5 million
c) 6 million
d) 9 million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. b ; 2. a ; 3. a ; 4. d ; 5. c ; 6. c ; 7. d ; 8. b ; 9. b ; 10. a ; 11. c ; 12. b ; 13. a
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president (1809-1865)
"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought."
Still on the Books
In Ridley Park, Delaware County, walking backward while eating peanuts in front of the Barnstormers Theater during a performance is prohibited.
Point of Origin
Fireworks were invented more than 2,000 years ago in China.
Table Tidbits
Americans consume 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July, enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles five times ---- with hot dogs left over.
Artillery Salute
In the 19th century, Independence Day was celebrated by firing explosives left over from various wars throughout the day.
Of Note
The bald eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird.
by Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president (1809-1865)
"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought."
Still on the Books
In Ridley Park, Delaware County, walking backward while eating peanuts in front of the Barnstormers Theater during a performance is prohibited.
Point of Origin
Fireworks were invented more than 2,000 years ago in China.
Table Tidbits
Americans consume 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July, enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles five times ---- with hot dogs left over.
Artillery Salute
In the 19th century, Independence Day was celebrated by firing explosives left over from various wars throughout the day.
Of Note
The bald eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird.
Afraid of the Dentist?
These strategies can help.
I'm a rational person, but I have a deep fear of the dentist that I just can't overcome. Any suggestions?
I don't know too many people who enjoy a trip to the dentist. But the health of our teeth and gums is an important part of maintaining our dental and overall wellness. So we do it.
Some of my patients have such a fear of dentists that they avoid making dental appointments at all, or cancel appointments they do make. Almost to a person, they tell me they've "always" been afraid of dentists. Almost surely, the fear began with a visit to the dentist ------ maybe their first ----- when they were a child.
Regardless of why you have this fear, there are several things you can try to get yourself into a dentist's chair. Medications such as diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan) may help reduce anxiety.
But they are best used in combination with these cognitive and behavioral strategies :
Relaxation techniques have been used by people in Asia for thousands of years. On occasion,true nonsense can be perpetuated for thousands of years, but usually things that have lasted that long have proven their value.
Recent research at Harvard Medical School has even shown that relaxation techniques literally change body chemistry. They alter which genes are turned on and off. So consider this approach to your fear of the dentist. It really could work.
I'm a rational person, but I have a deep fear of the dentist that I just can't overcome. Any suggestions?
I don't know too many people who enjoy a trip to the dentist. But the health of our teeth and gums is an important part of maintaining our dental and overall wellness. So we do it.
Some of my patients have such a fear of dentists that they avoid making dental appointments at all, or cancel appointments they do make. Almost to a person, they tell me they've "always" been afraid of dentists. Almost surely, the fear began with a visit to the dentist ------ maybe their first ----- when they were a child.
Regardless of why you have this fear, there are several things you can try to get yourself into a dentist's chair. Medications such as diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan) may help reduce anxiety.
But they are best used in combination with these cognitive and behavioral strategies :
- Breathing techniques. Physical tension and emotional stress can make pain feel worse. Dep breathing can counter physcial and mental tension. Breathe in slowly and count to five. Then exhale to another count of five.
- Muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then releasing one group of muscles at a time. It can help to slow heart rate and promaote calmness. Just a few minutes of progressive muscle relaxation may help during an appointment.
- Desensitization. This approach combines deep breathing and relaxation with gradual exposure to the thing that triggers your fear. If you're afraid of needles, for example, you may look at pictures of a dentist's needle in a safe environment such as at home, while practicing relaxation and breathing techniques. The goal is to help you learn to relax while confronting a trigger of your fear.
- Distraction. Focusing your mind elsewhere is another way to lessen anxiety and pain. The more complicated the task, the better. Listening to music may help. But counting tiles on the ceiling or slats on a window blind may be even more effective.
Relaxation techniques have been used by people in Asia for thousands of years. On occasion,true nonsense can be perpetuated for thousands of years, but usually things that have lasted that long have proven their value.
Recent research at Harvard Medical School has even shown that relaxation techniques literally change body chemistry. They alter which genes are turned on and off. So consider this approach to your fear of the dentist. It really could work.
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