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Tidbits of Phoenix is a light and interesting newspaper dedicated to publishing things you didn’t know. A “tidbit” is defi ned as “a choice or pleasing bit of anything, as news or gossip”. The origin of the word comes from the British concept of a feast day, and this free weekly paper is designed to be a feast for the mind. In addition to the nationally syndicated content, MnD Publishing intends to incorporate local culture, history, and tidbits of information that pertains to the Phoenix area. Most importantly, Tidbits of Phoenix will strive to serve and promote the local community and economy while providing our readers a positive, enjoyable reading experience.

Interesting. Local. Fun.






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InPrint Publishing, LLC., owned and operated by Cheri Bandt, recently acquired the rights to publish Tidbits®. Tidbits is a light and interesting newspaper dedicated to publishing things you didnʼt know. A “tidbit” is defi ned as “a tasty morsel to be devoured before the meal,” and thatʼs what Tidbits is... a morsel for the mind. Tidbits is published weekly...so look out, Tidbits has arrived! Distributed at area restaurants, Tidbits is meant to be picked up when entering the restaurant and read while dining (then take it home). We provide food for thought! So...Bon Appetit! Tidbits can also be found at car washes, doctors ̓offi ces, auto repair shops, nail and hair salons, and many other places where people have to wait.


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Tidbits® of Phoenix

From Teachers to Tidbits

Page 2 ® of Phoenix

The Weekly Spotlight

ORThoughts on Giving up Secure Public Sector Jobs to Enter a Supposedly Dying Industry During a Down Economy. And Other Advice. By Mark Nicholas

This could be you! Each week Tidbits of Phoenix will profi le a local business, entre-preneur, organization or interest group. Our twofold purpose will be to promote our local businesses while striving to provide our com-munity members with invaluable information you may not have previously known. We aim to provide our readers with interesting tidbits regarding the movers and shakers who are shaping Central and Downtown Phoenix into a

fi rst class urban center. By learning more about our community, its past, present, and future, we believe that every member of this commu-nity becomes more invested in the heart of our city. This knowledge helps to shape our iden-tity as residents of the core urban area of the nation’s fi fth largest city. We hope that those of you who live, work, and play here will ben-efi t from these spotlights, and will pass on this knowledge to others.

As a long-time high school teacher I have become used to the response I get when I in-form people of my profession, actually now my former profession. While there is generally universal love and appreciation of educators I also get a few raised eyebrows and a common refrain having to do with my ability to put up with those crazy kids. So neither my partner nor I are strangers to having our sanity questioned in relation to our career choice. This is a good thing since we have decided to leave behind the rewarding yet often frustrating world of sec-ondary education to become local newspaper publishers. Mr. Nic and Ms. C have traded in their white board markers and fancy calculators for a world of deadlines and news print, form-ing MnD Publishing, LLC (Mark n Diann) and starting Tidbits of Phoenix, the humble little paper you hold in your hands that promises to enlighten, entertain, and hopefully inform the good people of Central and Downtown Phoenix.

So why would two otherwise responsible and reasonably sensible adults decide to give up a steady paycheck, health insurance, and two months of summer vacation every year to en-ter an industry that everyone knows is on the way out? The world of print is dying we are told, everything is digital, online or better yet: stored away in a cloud somewhere. So, is our decision to zig while everyone else zags uncom-mon wisdom or mere foolishness? Only time will determine that answer, but the decision is based on a few factors, namely time, place, and circumstance. It’s also based on the rejection of the aforementioned notions and the belief that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the de-mise of print are greatly exaggerated.

We believe newspapers are still a viable and relevant way to communicate, and while the myriad electronic forms now available give us more ways to share information with each other, there is still nothing quite like holding some-thing tangible, fl ipping pages, mastering the perfect fold, and getting your hands dirty with some old-fashioned newsprint. Newspapers can be shared, left behind on the counter at the cof-fee shop for the next person, articles clipped and mailed to family… and how can you replace a good cup of coffee, a pencil, and a crossword puzzle? The time was right for us, both having worked our backsides off as educators for a number of years, Diann as a fi rst-rate math teacher, myself as a worthy history teacher. We were in search of a new venture in our lives, even if that meant leaving behind the safety of the small pond for a swim in the ocean. The place was right too. We now live in Central Phoenix, and as relatively recent refugees from the suburbs we have fallen in love with the community, the rich diversity of people, and the places we have encountered. Professional and personal circumstances put us in a position to take advantage of the opportunity to do something different, to chart a new course for our lives. We hope to produce something of quality and value, and ultimately to leave a posi-tive legacy with our weekly paper whose slogan is Interesting, Local, Fun.

Tidbits of Phoenix is designed to be the local interest paper for the heart of America’s hottest city. We are both strong advocates of support-ing the local community and the local economy, and we hope to shine the spotlight on Central and Downtown Phoenix, on the people, places,

events, history, and culture of the area that we proudly call home. We will strive to augment the unique blend of syndicated Tidbits content, which includes interesting and informative ar-ticles along with puzzles, trivia, and lists, with our own unique coverage of our city. We will keep the paper interesting, local, and fun, avoid-ing negative news or controversial topics. There are plenty of media sources to go to for coverage of political campaigns or the latest social scan-dal. Our paper is meant to be enjoyed, pure and simple. Each week we will put out interesting and at least semi-useful information, morsels for the mind, material for conversation, perhaps simply a few moments of healthy diversion for our readers. From teachers to Tidbits has been quite the journey to date. We are both nervous, excited, anxious, and ultimately hopeful that our uncon-ventional decision will reap numerous rewards. We are working tirelessly to produce a quality weekly local newspaper that will make an im-pact in our community, serving our readers’ de-sire for interesting content. We hope you will enjoy the fruits of our efforts, and that reading Tidbits of Phoenix will become a part of your regular routine. We hope to prove the naysay-ers wrong, and to show that our community will support and benefi t from this exciting new addi-tion to the Phoenix scene. Let us know what you think. As teachers we always valued input from our students; nothing has changed except the size of the classroom got bigger. Happy reading Phoenix! We look forward to sharing our inter-esting, local, and fun paper with you.

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Th e Hometown Teams

This past week was an eventful one on the local sports scene, with the annual NBA college draft bringing the Suns the possible heir apparent to long-time fl oor general Steve Nash, and the Diamondbacks fi rst year sensation and ace starting pitcher Wade Miley becoming the club’s fi rst rookie to be selected for baseball’s all-star game. The local nine continues to recover from early season struggles and returns home for a seven game home stand against division rivals San Diego and LA in hot pursuit of their second straight NL West title. Some potential offi ce water cooler discussions involving our local squads include:

Will Wade’s World get to 20?It has been 27 years since rookie Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds won 20 games, baseball’s gold standard, and a milestone no fi rst year hurler has hit since. Wade Miley, the Diamondbacks 25 year old southpaw sensation is 9-4 on the season, which is approaching the midpoint as we go to press. The six-footer from Louisiana who has brought Wade’s World to the valley is a decent bet to hit the 20 win plateau. With 84 games left and a fi ve man starting rotation, fi gure Miley to get around 17 or 18 more starts, meaning he would have to register

wins in just under two-thirds of his remaining outings. Having won nearly 70% of his starts in the fi rst half, this pace is certainly within reach.

Aaron Hill second player to double-up!Hitting for the cycle, which entails hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game is a rare feat in baseball, almost as rare as a no-hitter. Traditionally the hardest leg to come by is the triple, which requires the ultimate blend of power and speed. Coming up to bat in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, Diamondbacks 2B Aaron Hill was a triple shy of the cycle, and proceeded to deliver for the second time this season. Earlier last month Hill joined a select group of big leaguers that have accomplished the cycle, but last Friday he became only the second player in baseball history to hit for the cycle twice in one year. The last and only other player to pull this off was Babe Herman of the Brooklyn Robins in 1931.

Will Kendall Marshall replace Steve Nash?With Suns legend and long time fan-favorite Steve Nash seemingly on his way out of the valley, it appears that the future of the point-guard position is now. Phoenix used their fi rst round pick in this summer’s NBA draft to take Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina. Marshall comes into the league with a reputation for being able to lead the fast-break, and for taking care of the ball. He posted an assist to turnover ratio this year for the Tar Heels that was best in the nation. In his second and fi nal year at Chapel Hill, Marshall averaged 8 points and just under 10 assists. While it may be a bit much to expect anyone to fi ll the shoes of a player the caliber of Steve Nash, this year’s fi rst-rounder certainly seems capable of running the point for a franchise that fi gures to undergo plenty of change over the next couple years.

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The Boys of Summer

In more temperate climates, the 4th of July is the equivalent of the opening day of summer. As those of us that migrated to this desert mec-ca from such climes can attest, summer as a kid meant time spent outdoors, from breakfast dis-missal to the last drop of faded golden light on the western horizon. And as those of us who can be considered men of a certain age can at-test, most of that time was spent playing sports, competing in various endeavors, emulating our heroes, and ultimately striving for neighbor-hood supremacy and the bragging rights that went with it.

Ours was an era before club sports and athletic specialization. In the world of youth sports that kids and parents today partake, with or-

ganized leagues, busy practice schedules, and weekend-long tournaments, one aspect that is lost is the often impromptu pick up game. As kids we played Little League and AYSO, but we were still left with plenty of time to gather in the park until we had enough guys for a game of over the line, or a full court run of hoops.

We often made up our own rules and we cer-tainly settled our own disputes. We sometimes played all of the gloriously long summer days, stopping only occasionally in response to na-ture and hunger. We fought epic battles and en-joyed the thrill of victory, endured the agony of coming up short, and usually ended up bury-ing all hatchets post game at the local 7-11 over Slurpees, candy bars, and video games.

Our transportation was foot, skateboard, or bike. Our days lasted for as long as the sun and our parents would allow. Without even knowing we learned to compete, to cooperate, and to live according to an ethic of fair play that sports en-tail. We couldn’t possibly have appreciated the fl eeting nature of those days due to our youth. I think of these times even today when I come across kids playing sports in a park, a scene that much more often now includes girls of summer as well. I wonder if the next Jeter or Serena is out among them. I doubt that it much matters.

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1. Name the fi rst major-league player to have more than 600 doubles, 250 home runs, 3,000 hits and 400 stolen bases for his career.

2. True or false: Pitcher Nolan Ryan recorded the most strikeouts in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s.

3. When was the last time before 2008 that the University of Alabama’s football team won 12 games in a season?4. In 2007-08, Orlando’s Dwight Howard became the youngest player to win the NBA regular-season rebounding title (22 years,

130 days). Who had been the youngest?

5. Th e Avalanche have been in Colorado for 14 NHL seasons. How many times have they missed the playoff s (not including the 2004-05 NHL lockout)?

6. Which school won the fi rst NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championship in 1971?

7. When was the last time before 2009 (Rachel Alexandra) that a fi lly won the Preakness?

Reserve your position on the sports page today!

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Tidbits Of Trivia By V.B. Darrington

The First Fact and Our Motto• “There is much pleasure to be gained from

useless knowledge.” –Bertrand Russell

Quick Bits• The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are more

than 2, 500 miles apart in most of the United States. But in some places in Central America, the world’s two biggest oceans are separated by fewer than 50 miles of land. Panama is the narrowest part of Central America, but there are no mountains in Panama that offer view of both oceans. However, a peak in the neighboring country of Costa Rica, the 11, 325 foot Mount Izaru, is the only point in the world from which you can see both oceans.

• It sounds strange to say that rain keeps the earth dry, but that’s exactly what it does. The process that generates precipitation gathers moisture from the air and concentrates it in clouds, which later deposit the water in the form of rains. If this moisture didn’t condense to form rain, then the atmosphere would be unbearably humid. The entire earth would be heavily covered with moisture, and life, as we know it probably couldn’t exist.

It’s Against the Law

• It’s against the law in California to set a trap for a mouse unless you have a hunting license.

• In Gary, Indiana, it’s against the law to take a streetcar or go to a theater within four hours after eating garlic.

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Paying More for Less• If your family has been going through jar after

jar of peanut butter, it might not be that they’re eating more. Peanut butter jars, as with so many other products, have shrunk in size.

• Tuna used to come in 6-ounce cans. Now it’s 5 ounces. Juice used to be 64 ounces. Now the car-tons contain 59 ounces. Ketchup, canned vegeta-bles, ice cream, cereal, boxed pasta, coffee -- they all have less in the package.

• Some manufacturers are trying to put a posi-tive spin on it. With crackers, for instance, one manufacturer is trying to tell us that the product will stay fresher longer with less in the box. Or the package is better for the environment. Or it’s healthier.

• With some products they’re not ‘fessing up with excuses, they’re changing the shape of the package just enough so that it fools the eye into believing we’re getting the same amount as be-fore: slimmer packages that are the same height as before, boxes that are just as wide but not as deep, caved-in bottoms on jars, or bright splashes on the front that say “improved flavor” or “easy pour” to distract us.

• No matter the excuse, the bottom line is that we’re getting less in the packages of food while, of course, the prices aren’t dropping.

• Price isn’t the only implication. If you’re on a special diet (say if you have diabetes) and know

that in the past you could eat one-quarter of a box of pasta, and the box is now smaller, you won’t be getting the nutrition you used to get. That could have an impact on your insulin dos-age.

• Recipes can take a hit, especially ones you’ve made for years. If you’re used to using a one-pound package of rice, that package may no lon-ger contain what you expect it to. Food that used to feed a family doesn’t go far enough now.

• It’s more important than ever to read the pack-aging and know what you’re getting. Read the price label on the shelf and do the per-unit math: the largest size might not be a bargain anymore, with two packages being cheaper. Compare brands. Try something new. Make notes on the staples you buy for future comparison.

• Above all, don’t be fooled. Know what you’re getting and decide if you want to give the manu-facturer your money.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: In currency, what is a watermark, and why is it used?2. TELEVISION: What TV show featured the neighbors named Lenny and Squiggy?3. GEOGRAPHY: Which of the Great Lakes is located entirely within the United States?4. MOVIES: What book is the movie “Clue-less” loosely based upon?5. MEASUREMENTS: What measurement is used to determine the height of a horse?6. SCIENCE: What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?7. MATH: What are congruent angles?8. TRADITIONS: Traditional Chinese brides might wear which color of dress on their wed-ding days?9. MUSIC: Which Christmas carol features the phrase “the weary world rejoices”?10. MEDICAL TERMS: What’s a common name for deglutition?

TIDBITS® TAKES A LOOK BACK AT

THIS WEEK IN HISTORYby Kathy Wolfe

This week has been an eventful one over the years! Follow along as Tidbits investigates several happenings that have occurred during the first week of July.

• Happy Canada Day! July 1 commemo-rates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the province of Canada into a federation of four provinces, an 1867 event. This act created the Dominion of Canada, and July 1 was of-ficially declared Dominion Day. It wasn’t until 1982 that the holiday’s name was changed to Canada Day, when the British Parliament relinquished all political rights over Canada. Although countrymen had been singing “O Canada” since 1880, when the song was com-posed by Canada’s national musician Calixa Lavalee, it wasn’t proclaimed the country’s national anthem until Dominion Day, 1980.

• On the first day of July in 1963, the U.S. Post Office instigated its new coding sys-tem to enable faster processing of mail. They dubbed it the Zoning Improvement Plan, or ZIP, for short. A five-digit code was assigned to every address across America, with the first number designating the geographical area, the second two digits identifying a regional center, and the last signifying which post of-fice. Today, there are more than 42,000 ZIPs nationwide. • “Don’t you think a stereo cassette player that you can listen to while walking around is a good idea?” Those were the words of Sony’s chairman Masaru Ibuka back in 1979. Ibuka traveled extensively and loved music and pitched the idea to company of-ficials. On July 1 of that year, the Sony Walk-man hit retailers’ shelves. • The year’s midpoint occurs on July 2, with 182 days passed and 182 yet to come (ex-cept in Leap years, which have one extra day in the first half). On this day in 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were heard from for the last time as they attempted to make the first round-the-world flight. Their last contact was from the vicinity of Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean.

• Chevrolet rolled its one-millionth Cor-vette off the assembly line in Bowling Green,

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY (continued):

Kentucky, on July 2, 1992. It was a white LT1 roadster with a red interior and black roof, car-rying a price tag of more than $31,000. Another automotive milestone took place on this day in 2005, when the very last Ford Thunderbird was manufactured. The Ford plant at Wixom, Michigan, produced the platinum car with black interior. Employees of the plant signed their autographs on the inside fender panels, and the two-seater was given to the great-granddaughter of company founder Henry Ford, Josephine Ford.• The Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3, 1863, the largest military battle in U.S. history. Confederate troops of 75,000 under Robert E. Lee met the 97,000 men of the Union Army commanded by George Meade in the small Pennsylvania town, popula-tion 2,400. By the end of the three-day conflict, more than 51,000 were dead, along with more than 5,000 horses. Continued on the page 7!

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PETBITS SPONSORED BY:

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: It never seems to amaze me. I’m talking about the people who do not get their critters fixed. I know some very educated people whose pets have litter after litter. What are they thinking? Where and when will it end?It is never right or a good thing to allow your critters to have a litter. Never! Take a look at our overcrowded animal shelters. It just breaks my heart at the number of animals they have to put down. These “educated” people tell me, “Oh, I find homes for all my babies.” That’s beside the point! If you don’t have babies to give away for free, then people will have to adopt a critter from the shelter that is fixed and won’t reproduce any more unwanted and unloved animals. Get all your pets fixed!If you can’t afford to get them fixed, find a program that will help you pay for it or take them to your local shelter. Please! -- Dee in Palmyra, N.Y.

DEAR DEE: Thank you for making an important point so forcefully. Litters of puppies and kittens are very cute, but they add to an already huge population of dogs and cats, most of which are never adopted and end up in shelters, where they’re often euthanized. Unless you are an AKC-certified, professional breeder, you have no business allowing your pets to procreate. I have heard many excuses from pet owners as to why they don’t spay or neuter. “Oh, it would be cruel.” “Oh, my Maximilian would lose his confident personality if he were neutered.” And of course, “My pet is well-behaved and indoors most of the time, so she’ll never get pregnant.”Don’t let yourself be swayed by these fantasies. Learn the facts about spaying and neutering.

Reader: Don’t Allow House Pets to BreedBy Samantha Mazzotta

Send your tips, questions and comments to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or e-mail them to [email protected].

YOUR BUSINESS HEREfor more information call (602) 819 - 6515

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY (continued):

It’s estimated that 569 tons of ammunition were used in the assault, and 634 cannons were positioned throughout the 25-square-mile area. The Confederates were defeated in the battle, but it was not to be the end of the war. It raged on for nearly two more years, although Lee’s army never recovered from the devastation.

• The U.S. Second Continental Congress met from July 1-4, 1776, in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall to debate, revise and adopt the Declaration of Independence. The docu-ment had been drafted by Thomas Jefferson, listing grievances against the King of England and breaking ties between the colonies and the mother country. Fifty-six men later signed the document, and it was read publicly for the first time on July 8.

• It somehow seems appropriate that two of America’s founding fathers, Thomas Jeffer-son and John Adams, should pass away on July 4. Jefferson, the nation’s third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams, the second president, died within hours of each other in 1826, on the 50th an-niversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

• An announcement at the July 4, 1939, Yankees game saddened baseball fans across the nation. Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig stood before the crowd and announced his re-tirement from baseball after being stricken with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The 36-year-old called himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth” for having played 17 seasons in the major leagues. His amazing record of 2,130 consecutive games endured for 56 years, and his record 23-career grand slams remains un-beaten. Gehrig passed away less than two years later, and his number “4” uniform was retired, making him the first player to be given this honor.

FIREWORKSWhat better way to celebrate Independence Day than with fireworks? Here’s some information about the dynamic displays that light up the night sky. • It’sthoughtthatgunpowderoriginatedin China about 1000 A.D. Firecrackers consist-ed of bamboo shoots filled with black powder and were used to celebrate the new year. Early fireworks were not the colorful ones we know today, rather just loud explosions designed to scare away evil spirits. • Chinaremainsthelargestproducerof fireworks, making about 90 percent of the world’s supply. America imports close to $200 million worth of fireworks each year and manu-factures over $230 million of fireworks as well. • ColorwasfirstaddedtofireworksinItaly in the 1830s. Different metals are respon-sible for the variety of colors we see lighting up the sky. Copper creates blue, barium produces green, calcium is responsible for orange, and sodium makes yellow. The addition of alumi-num and titanium will add bright white to the display, and a mix of strontium salts and lithi-um salts will produce red. • Sparklerswerecreatedaround1880,and while they may seem tame in comparison to other fireworks, sparklers actually burn at temperatures exceeding 2,000° F. (1,093° C), over 15 times the boiling point of water. Just three sparklers burning together produce the same heat as a blowtorch! Children under five receive the most injuries from this source. • Theblackpowderusedinthemanufac-ture of fireworks is classified as “low explosive.” This means its detonation velocity is about 100 yards per second. Dynamite falls into the

category of “high explosive” with a speed of greater than 1,000 yards per second.• TheillegalM-80fireworks,whichsimu-late the sound of gunfire, are officially known as “military rifle fire simulators.” • Arecord-settingfireworksdisplaywasset off in Portugal in 2006, consisting of 66,326 fireworks. • WhenKingLouisXVIofFrancemar-ried Marie Antoinette in 1770, an impressive fireworks show of 20,000 rockets followed the ceremony to celebrate the union. More than 200,000 people packed Paris’ Place de la Con-corde to view the display. However, tragedy struck afterward when a stampede occurred as people left the area, resulting in 800 deaths. • Thosewhomanufactureandsetofffireworks must wear only cotton clothing, due to the fact that static electricity in synthetic fabrics can ignite firecrackers.

•ItwasAmericanauthor,playwright,screenwriterand political activist Gore Vidal who made the following sage observation: “Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by defi nition, be disqualifi ed from ever doing so.”

• Th e next time you get a chance, you mightwant to check the pressure of your car’s tires; if they’re not infl ated to the correct pressure, you’re contributing to the $9 million in fuel that is wasted due to improper tire pressure, according to the Department of Energy.

•IfyouevergotoRome,oneofthesightsthatmustbe seen is the Trevi Fountain, the elaborate Baroque installment that was completed in 1762. According to legend, anyone who throws a coin in the fountain is ensured a return visit to Rome. Th is is, evidently, a popular tradition; every night approximately $3,500 is retrieved from the fountain. Th e money is used to fund a supermarket for the city’s needy.

• In this era of ubiquitous technology and instantcommunication through e-mail and text message, the average American still receives 1.5 personal letters each week. Of course, you have to weigh that against the 10.8 pieces of junk mail that arrive on a weekly basis. •Duetotherisingpricesofthematerialsusedtomintcoins, it now costs 2 cents to manufacture every penny and 9 cents to make a nickel.

• In 2006, an Illinois police officer was arrested fordriving under the infl uence of alcohol. Th is probably would not be noteworthy, except that it was the same police offi cer who received an award for making the most DUI arrests in his county.

1. Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros (1988-2007).2. True -- 2,678 in the ‘70s and 2,167 in the ‘80s.3. It was 1994.4. Dolph Schayes was 22 years, 226 days old when he won the rebounding title in 1950-51.5. Twice -- 2007 and 2009.6. Cornell, which beat Maryland in the fi nal.7. Nellie Morse in 1924.

1. A distinguishing mark on paper money to prevent counterfeit2. “Laverne & Shirley”3. Lake Michigan4. “Emma,” by Jane Austen5. Hands (one hand equals 4 inches)6. Barometer7. Angles that have the same measure in degrees8. Red, for good luck9. “O Holy Night”10. Swallowing

• The famed Pony Express was an abject fi nancial failure. It was in existence for only two years.

• If you were asked where the tallest pyramid on earth is located, would you answer San Francisco? The huge pyramid-shaped skyscraper that dominates the Bay-area skyline exceeds even the massive height of the pyramids in Egypt.

• The workers at a bakery in Connecticut used to play a game at lunchtime. They would play catch with a tin pie plate from the local bakery. The game became so popular that the idea was picked up commercially. Soon the disks were copied in plastic and embossed with the name of the pie company, “Frisbee.”

• The kangaroo got its name from Captain James Cook. When the English explorer was in Australia, he asked a native what the name of the strange, jumping animals was. The native replied, “Kangaroo.” In his language it meant, “I don’t know.”

• Most baseball players don’t like being booed by people watching them play. But John “Boog” Powell of the Baltimore Orioles said he didn’t mind being booed. “After all,” said Powell, “a boo is just three quarters of a Boog.”

• You probably know that a group of bees is called a swarm, and a group of cattle is called a herd. But did you know that a group of elks is called a gang? And did you know that several leopards are known as a leap? Other animal group names include a band of gorillas, a clowder (or a clutter) of cats, a knot of toads, a gaggle of geese and a pride of lions.

The Final Fact• India Ink originally came from China.

More TidbitsWe thank you for reading our prototype issue of Tidbits of Phoenix and we hope you found something to your liking. Starting with Issue I in two weeks, each week we will try to bring you an interesting, local, and fun blend of columns, games, lists, and tidbits of semi-useful information.

As Tidbits is a free paper, we are fully funded by our valuable advertising partners, and we hope that you will consider sup-porting our local economy by patronizing our partners, especially the real ones. These include the 7th Avenue Melrose Shop-ping District, Wag n Wash, Downtown Pet Sitting, All Is One Photography, and independent insurance agent extraordinaire Norm Wagner. Many of the ads are intended as samples, and are not meant to represent actual businesses. We sincerely apologize if anyone tried to fi nd The Scoop or Bob̒s Bar and Billiards on Yelp or Google Maps.

Please look for Tidbits of Phoenix in two weeks as we shine the local spotlight on the Melrose Shopping District and the inter-esting story behind the redevelopment of 7th Avenue in Uptown Phoenix. We will continue to cover the local scene in sports and culture, and will introduce new syndicated columns to the mix, along with This Desert Life, a regular look at the culture and experience of living in Phoenix.

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