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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 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.

More Facts• Did you ever hear of “American Flag” or “Licorice Lulu”? They’re the names of flavors of chewing gum that were made and sold more than 100 years ago. These gums were made in Maine by two brothers named Curtis. Back in 1848, they began making gum from the sap of spruce trees. It was America’s first chewing

Tidbits® of Salina

1. HISTORY: What was the name of the Ro-man general who captured Jerusalem in 70 A.D.? 2. ARCHITECTURE: Who came up with the first design of the U.S. Capitol Building?3. LITERATURE: In what town was writer Mark Twain born?4. TELEVISION: Who was Tom Hanks’ male co-star on the comedy show “Bosom Bud-dies”?5. MOVIES: Who was the male lead in the movie “American Beauty”?6. SCIENCE: Tectonics is a field of what sci-ence?7. INVENTIONS: In what decade was the mi-crowave oven invented?8. EXPLORERS: To which tribe did Sacaja-wea, the Native American guide who led the Lewis and Clark expedition, belong?9. U.S. STATES: What state is nicknamed the Garden State? 10. MYTHOLOGY: In Greek mythology, what was a creature that was half man and half goat?

3 large lemons3/4 cup sugar6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) margarine or butter2 teaspoons cornstarch4 large egg yolks1 (6-ounce) ready-to-use butter-flavor piecrust1 package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling for 4 servings1/2 cup milk1 container (8-ounce) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Grate peel from 1 lemon. Squeeze enough juice from lemons to equal 1/2 cup.2. In 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, heat sugar, margarine or butter, cornstarch, lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth and margarine or but-ter melts.3. In small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat egg yolks slightly. Into yolks, beat small amount of warm lemon mixture; stir egg mixture back into lemon mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.4. Pour lemon mixture into bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or until well-chilled.5. Spread 1/2 cup chilled lemon mixture in piecrust. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, beat pudding, milk, and remaining lemon mixture until blended. Fold half of whipped topping into lemon filling; spoon into crust.6. Spoon remaining whipped topping over pie, swirl-ing with back of spoon to make attractive top. Chill pie at least 1 hour. Serves 10.

● Each serving: About 350 calories, 19g total fat, 87mg cholesterol, 355mg sodium.

For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our web-site at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/.

Mock Lemon Meringue Pie

CORRECTION: It was recently reported in this col-umn (as well as many other entertainment columns) that Mariska Hargitay would be in only 13 episodes of this coming season’s “Law and Order: SVU.” Well, I am happy to amend that report with news from the Big Guy himself: Showrunner and executive producer War-ren Leight contacted me to dispel the rumor. He told me: “Mariska will be in all 22 ‘SVU’ episodes this season. Rumor she is leaving at 13 just wrong.” With Chris-topher Meloni’s Detective Stabler leaving, it’s a relief to learn Mariska’s Detective Benson will be sticking around.

Q: It seems like every other year, there is a rumor that “Jurassic Park 4” is going to made. But so far, no movie. Will it ever happen? -- Paul G., MiamiA: All signs point to “yes.” Producer/director Steven Spielberg told a crowd of enthusiastic sci-fi fans at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con fan convention that there will be another “Jurassic Park,” and it might be only two to three years away. Steven said that he has a story and a screenwriter ready to go for the fourth movie of the dinosaur-clone series, and Steven himself will serve as producer.

Q: I really love MTV’s new teen comedy, “Awk-

ward.” The actor who plays Matty looks really fa-miliar. Can you tell me what else I might have seen him in recently? -- Cara D., via e-mailA: Beau Mirchoff, 21, plays Matty, the nice-guy jock with a heart -- and it appears he also has a thing for our heroine, Jenna. You might remember Beau from “Heart-land,” or from his turn as Drea de Matteo’s son on “Des-perate Housewives.”Of his year on “DH,” Beau told me: “I learned so much from all the people on that set. They are pros, and they know what they’re doing. I learned a lot from Jeffrey Nordling, who played my father, and Drea de Matteo, who was my mother. I had a big crush on Drea. I hope it didn’t read on camera. That would have been creepy.”Playing a teen on “Awkward” has Beau remembering his own awkward time in high school: “Everything seems like such a dire situation. Like it’s the last time you’ll be able to do something. Or it’s the end of the world if you can’t go out with that girl. But it’s really not, and it’s so insignificant looking back. But you’re growing up and you’re figuring things out.”

Q: I was so sad to hear about the passing of singer Amy Winehouse. Do authorities know what caused her death? -- Grant D., via e-mailA: Toxicology reports will probably take weeks to get back, so it might be a while before we know what killed the troubled songstress, who was only 27 when she passed away on July 23. Amy had publicly battled addiction, but police say there were no signs of drug or paraphernalia in her home at the time of her death.

Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at [email protected]. For more news and extend-ed interviews, visit www.celebrityextraonline.com and twitter.com/Celebrity_Extra.

Q: Several years ago, my wife purchased a frame in an Ohio antique shop. Behind a butterfly print, there was a chalk portrait signed by Princess Eu-genia E. de Kactwra, dated Aug. 10, 1966, New Or-leans. We have it stored in a safety deposit box and would like to know more about the artist, since I have some people wanting to purchase the picture -- Charles, Port Orange, Fla.A: This answer is a little involved, so stay with me.During the 1960s, I was a flower child and lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Jackson Square was a perfect gathering place for dozens of interesting characters, including Janie the Duck Girl (who was followed by a pet duck everywhere she went), Heav-enly Hilda (an over-the-hill street singer I always sus-pected was a man), Billy Blotto (a two-fisted drinker always in an alcoholic stupor) and -- last but not least -- the Polish Princess, a bird-like woman who could be found most afternoons on the Square doing chalk portraits for tourists.I suspect the picture you have is by this artist and might not be as valuable as you think. To find out for certain, I suggest you contact the Art Dealers Association of America, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Donna Carlson is the group’s director, and she might be able to recommend a member who can help you. This won’t necessarily be a free service, but I think it is always a good idea to get a professional opinion when in doubt about a collectible. My big question is, whatever happened to Janie the Duck Girl?

Q: I have a small child’s ring that I think prob-ably came from a cereal box. It is plastic, silver in color, and has a design that features an image of the boxer, Gene Tunney. Does it have any value? -- Roger, Peoria, Ill.A: Cereal premiums have always been popular with collectors. Since the brand was known for promoting sports figures, your ring might have come from a box of Wheaties. After checking with several experts, we came to the conclusion that your ring is likely worth in the $15 to $25 range depending, of course, on con-dition.

Write to Larry Cox in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected]. Due to the large volume of mail he receives, Mr. Cox is un-able to personally answer all reader questions. Do not send any materials requiring return mail.

Of SalinaPublished weekly by Tidbits of Salina

Call (785) [email protected]

Tidbits® of Salina gum, and it was packaged under the name of “State of Main Pure Spruce Gum.”

• The fighting fish of Siam make their egg nest out of spit and bubbles.

• Christopher Columbus is a famous name in U.S. history. But did you ever hear of Bartholomew Columbus? Chris and Bart were brothers. They planned the ocean voyage together, and both traveled about Europe trying to raise money for the trip. But then, Chris got the money he needed and sailed without his brother. No one knows why Bart got left behind. But if he hadn’t, Americans might have a holiday called “Columbus’s Day.”

• A baby sea lion cannot swim from birth. It has to be taught by its mother.

• Ants sometimes get drunk. This happens when ants drink nectar from the bodies of certain beetles. Then, “undrunk” ants carry a drunken ant to some water and toss it in. The drunken ant sobers up quickly after his dunking.

• Guinea pigs did not originate in Guinea, nor are they members of the pig family.

• There are full-grown sharks that measure only five inches long.

Facts You Need to Know

• If all the eggs of a female fly hatched, she would be the mother of 131,000,000,000,000,000,000 baby flies in six months.

• Once U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was on a hunting trip in Mississippi. One day a bear cub was brought into camp for the president to shoot. Roosevelt refused. Because of Teddy Roosevelt’s liking for the bear cub, toy bears are called “Teddy Bears” to this day.

• America bought Alaska from the Russians for two cents an acre.

Tidbits Galore!• Francis Scott Key composed the words to “The Star Spangled Banner” on the back of an envelope.

• Since serving soda water on Sundays was against the law in the 1800s in most U.S. towns, some drugstore owners could not serve ice cream sodas. Instead, they served a concoction with ice cream, nuts, fruit, and syrup but no soda water. These “sundaes” on Sunday became so

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last December, my husband called the paramedics when I did not respond to him. They rushed me to the hospital when I began convulsing. I have no recollection of any of this. When I woke one week later, I was in the ICU. I was told that I had broken-heart syndrome. I also was told it has to do with blood pressure. Can you confirm that there is such a thing? -- A.

ANSWER: Broken-heart syndrome is for real. It’s a recent addition to the catalog of illnesses. Japanese doctors first described it, and called it Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a heart illness that affects the heart muscle, not the heart arteries or heart valves.The classical case is one where a person develops severe chest discomfort preceded by physical or emotional stress. The emotional stress could be the unexpected death of a loved one. An EKG shows a pattern that replicates the pattern of a heart attack. The heart’s function is greatly compromised. It doesn’t pump blood like it should, and that can lower blood pressure. Seizures are not included in the list of symptoms. However, a drop in blood pressure also drops the flow of blood to the brain. That can trigger seizures.The explanation for this is a surge in the body’s stress chemicals that affect heart function. Damage to the heart muscle isn’t permanent. The heart returns to good health in a matter of weeks. You didn’t mention any prior stress. Do you recollect any?

Broken Heart Not Just Figureof Speech

On the plus side, your heart arteries are in good shape, and you ought not to suffer a recurrence.The booklet on congestive heart failure does not address broken-heart syndrome specifically, but it does detail a more common condition, its treatment and its prognosis. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 103W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$5 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have weak kidneys due to type 1 diabetes. My doctor has me eating three fruits a day and four vegetables. He limited my meat to 6 ounces daily. Does this limitation of meat benefit my kidneys? -- E.L.

ANSWER: Many times, when the kidneys aren’t working up to par (weak kidneys), doctors put their patients on a reduced-protein diet. It slows the decline of kidney function. That’s why your doctor limited your meat (protein) intake.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is distilled water bad for drinking? Can you chew too much gum? My husband chews about four pieces every day. -- P.M.

ANSWER: Distilling water involves boiling water and condensing the water vapor by cooling it. Components dissolved in the water are left behind. You can drink distilled water. You will miss out on the minerals contained in most water and on fluoride added to city water, but you can get these elements in other ways.If you chew too much sugar-containing gum, you promote cavities. Too much sugarless gum can cause diarrhea. Four sticks are not too much.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

Sand-Castle Making Is Fun for All Ages

Life IS a beach for “sandguy” and grandfather Kirk Rademaker. As an internationally acclaimed sand sculptor, he is known for his innovative designs cre-ated with sand and water on exotic beaches of the world. In 1997, he quit his career in carpentry, traded in his construction boots for bare feet, and began a fulltime career enjoying the enchantment of sand, surf and art. “A beach filled with people is an equalizer in a soci-ety that divides people,” he says. “When beachgoers of all ages and stations of life spontaneously join to-gether to create a sandcastle, no one cares about your title, name, rank or lack thereof.”On vacation in Santa Cruz, Calif., I experienced the freedom he talks about as I poked around in wet sand to my heart’s content, sharing the moment with the newfound friends around me. I discovered that cas-tle-making isn’t just for kids with pint-size pails and scoops. All ages can reawaken their inner artist and experience joy.As Kirk guided a seaside crowd of eager onlookers and myself through the basics of sandcastle and sand sculpting, he demonstrated his basic and doable tech-niques for getting started. (For step-by-step photos, see the “Sandguy Kirk Rademaker Sand Sculptures” photo album at my DONNA’S DAY Facebook fan page.)When you head to a sandy beach at a lake or the ocean, bring along the following along items, then let nature provide the rest.

Here’s the stuff:--3 five-gallon plastic buckets (available at hardware and building supply stores). Remove the base of one bucket so it looks like a wide tube.--Shovel for sand and water mixture.--Your favorite sand-sculpting tools, such as a small trowel, butter knives, spoons and scoops.Here’s the fun:

1. Fill one of the buckets with sea or lake water and bring it to the “construction site.”2. Set the bucket with base removed firmly into the sand upside down. Fill it about two-thirds full with sand, then add water to the top. Vigorously mix with your hands. Tap the outside of the bucket; the vibra-tions cause the wet sand to settle and harden. Repeat with more sand and water until the bucket is full and the sand feels very firm.

3. Tap the sides of the bucket again and gently lift it upward to reveal a large silolike sand shape. Now you have the basic building block for your castle, Mount Rushmore-esque sculpture or wacky design. When you get going, just let it expand with your imagina-tion. The goal, according to Kirk, is that you don’t want the sand shape to look like a five-gallon bucket any longer.Source: www.sandguy.com.

Scans Now Reveal Blast Brain Damage

It’s estimated that there have been 320,000 brain inju-ries caused by blasts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of them, according to a study reported in the New Eng-land Journal of Medicine, were diagnosed as mild or concussive because nothing physical could be seen on imaging scans.It’s now possible for the effects of concussion to be seen on brain scans.The study done at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. military hospital in Germany, used a different type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan that can see damage to the brain down at the axon level (where nerve impulses are transmitted). All researchers did was to upgrade the MRI to Diffusion Tensor Imaging and use analysis software.Sixty-three military personnel who had been in blasts with an additional injury (being hit with something in the explosion) were scanned. Their initial diagnosis had been “mild, uncomplicated brain injury” due to loss of consciousness, amnesia or being dazed. They were tested along with two dozen others who had been in blasts and had injuries but who had no sign of brain injury. Those suffering from the effects of explosions often have the mental and emotional components, with no “proof” of physical damage.The DTI scans showed “marked abnormalities,” while the standard scans didn’t show a thing. Six months to a year afterward, a follow-up showed persistent abnor-malities in 47 patients. The conclusion was that TBI can involve axonal injury, which is akin to severe whiplash, wherein the brain is rattled around in the skull -- and it can now, in many cases, be seen.While this advance doesn’t allow for a specific diagno-sis or prediction of future brain health, it is a big step forward as the tests can now be run on standard MRI machines.

Write to Freddy Groves in care of King Features Week-ly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].

For Advertising Call (785) 404-1000

1. In 2010, San Francisco’s Buster Posey had a 21-game hitting streak, the longest by a Giants rookie since when?2. Three pitchers between 1966 and 1987 started at least 20 games a season for 20

consecutive seasons. Name two of them.3. Who was the first football player in ACC history to have at least 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season?4. Name the last NBA player before New Orleans’ Chris Paul in 2007-08 to average at least 20 points, 10 assists and 2.5 steals for a season.5. What NHL team other than the Edmonton Oilers (five times) has tallied 400-plus goals for a season?6. In 1928, Sonja Henie became the youngest Olympic figure-skating champion. How old was she?7. Who was the last men’s golfer before Tiger Woods (2005-06) and Padraig Harrington (2007-08) to win consecutive British Opens?

● You can whiten chopping boards with lemon juice. Just use the cut side of a lemon to scrub the board, let it sit for up to 10 minutes, and rinse clean.

● If you’re stuffing pillows or a child’s toy with foam-rubber chips, rub a bit of fabric softener over your hands first. The tiny pieces won’t get stuck to your hands with static, and it will smell nice to boot!

● Here’s a fun activity for the kids: Let them “paint” cookies. Using clean craft brushes or watercolor brushes, the kids can use food coloring to paint de-signs on cookies. They can even paint the dough before it’s been cooked, and then see how the de-sign spreads and settles.

● “We made our own umbrella stand by taking the bottoms off of two large coffee cans and then stack-ing them on top of a third can with only the top re-moved. We taped the cans together and covered the whole thing with leftover wallpaper, which we sealed where it overlapped.” -- I.D. in Ohio

● If you have stubborn shellac on your paintbrush, try dissolving it by soaking it in alcohol. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area.

● Need a funnel quickly? Double a sheet of alumi-num foil and roll into a funnel shape. It works!

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Fea-tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail JoAnn at [email protected].

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

popular that they were soon served every day of the week.

• The motto of the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency is: “We Never Sleep, “And that motto is printed over a picture of an open eye. That’s why private detectives are referred to as “Private Eyes.”

• The reason moths and other nocturnal insects circle your porch lamp is not because they crave the spotlight. Moths and insect use the moon to help them navigate in the dark. When an insect gets too close to a light, it does what nature tells it to do – it keeps its body aligned in relation to the light source. If the light source were the far distant moon, the insect would fly straight. However, since the light is so close, the bug ends up flying in circles.

• In a single summer afternoon in 1935, Jesse Owens broke four world records! He set or tied marks in the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard hurdles, the 220-yard dash and the broad jump. Since then all of Jesse Owens’ records have been bettered, but never has another athlete broken four records in a single day.

• A huge diamond of tremendous carat weight was taken to the finest cutter in Amsterdam. The entire value of the stone depended almost completely on the first cut. Needless to say, the diamond cutter felt the tremendous pressure of his task and spent a full month examining the stone to determine its natural cleavage. Finally, the moment of truth arrived, and the diamond cutter raised his mallet to crack the massive diamond. But when his cleaver hit the stone, the cleaver itself broke into two pieces. After collecting his wits again, the master cutter struck the stone again, and was rewarded when the stone split perfectly. He was so relieved he fainted on the floor.

• Bulldogging is a popular rodeo event. In it, a cowboy on horseback chases after a steer. He then jumps from his horse, grabs the steer by the horns and tries to wrestle the steer to the ground. But where did bulldogging get its name? One story claims that a famous cowboy Bill Pickett invented bulldogging. History says that Pickett used to grab his steer by the horns, and then he would bite the upper lip of the animal, letting go with his hands just like a bulldog.

Q: My front door swings open and shut way too quick-ly. This means when my son pushes the door open, it bangs against the doorstop on the wall so hard I’m afraid it will crack the drywall behind it. And when he swings it shut, it slams. How can I fix this (besides teaching my son to be more conscientious about how he enters the house)? -- Ellen D., Philadelphia

A: There are a couple of things you can try. To slow down the swinging, remove the pin from the top hinge of the door. Your son can be your helper by holding the door in place while you stand on a safe stepladder to take out the pin.Wrap the pin in clear tape -- just one thin layer. Reinsert into the top hinge, and test the door. If this doesn’t slow down the swing, wrap one more layer around the pin. This should create enough friction to stop the super-fast, free swing. You may need to reapply tape after several months, however.

Fixing a Slamming Door

If the door banging shut is too loud, try using foam weather stripping to cushion the frame. Adhesive-backed foam stripping is available at home improvement stores in different widths. Try the thinnest width available.Pre-test the stripping before gluing it down. With the pa-per backing still on, unroll the strip along the inside of the door frame where the door closes against it. Put a little clear tape at the top and bottom to hold it, and test the door. Does it shut easily, or do you have difficulty getting it to latch with the strip in place?If it’s difficult, and you have the thinnest weather strip-ping available, try placing a small half-inch long piece at the top and bottom of the door frame and test the door again. This small amount of stripping should muffle the noise somewhat.

HOME TIP: Does your door stick or lightly scrape the floor when you open it? Tape a piece of sandpaper to the area and push the door back and forth over it to try and sand down the bottom of the door a bit.

Send your questions or home tips to [email protected], or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. When in doubt as to whether you can safely or ef-fectively complete a project, consult a professional con-tractor.

Tidbits® of Salina • The famed Pony Express was an abject financial 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.

For millions of families, the cost of movie night at home just went up. Netflix, the popular DVD rental company, unexpectedly raised its rates by as much as 60 percent last month. No lon-ger can you get movies and all the streaming you want for one low price. Now the movies and the streaming have separate costs, and to get both the DVDs delivered to your door and streaming will cost more.There are other ways to watch inexpensive mov-ies, however, if you know where to look.If you don’t already have a means of stream-ing movies, check into the Roku [www.roku.com], a nifty little streaming box. It comes in three levels: $60, $80 and $100. Price is deter-mined by high-definition level (720p or 1080p), but all come with built-in wireless. Be sure to hunt around the settings to see all that’s offered with Roku -- more than 300 channels with music, movies and shows.Many of the services, such as Crackle, are free. Hulu Plus and Amazon offer inexpensive ac-cess to movies. Pandora, the movie channel, is free. You’ll find EPIX movies and on-demand

sports. Additionally, with Roku you’ll have ac-cess (some free) to some international movies and television shows. And yes, you can access Netflix if you have the streaming option.If you only want to stream to your computer or mobile phone, check Zediva [www.Zediva.com] for $1.99 new movie rentals. And here’s a bonus: You don’t have to pay with a credit card on its site. You can pay with PayPal if you prefer. Big-ger bonus: If you pay for a package of 10 mov-ies, the cost drops to a dollar apiece. However, due to the way Zediva has set up its relationship with the movie studios, only a certain number of copies of a given movie are available at any one time. Read the FAQ to be sure you understand the limits.If you’re a parent and going to be in the market for a new DVD player soon, consider getting one of the inexpensive combo DVD and VCR play-ers. You can save money on the kids’ movies by shopping yard sales, where you can find hundreds of older VHS movies for a fraction of the cost of the DVD version. (You’ll also be less upset when the kids unwind a movie tape than you would be if they scratch a new DVD.)

David Uffington regrets that he cannot person-ally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].

Cheaper Ways to Watch Movies at Home

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DEAR READERS: I recently received a report from the University of Missouri about a dog named “Sugar,” a Cocker Spaniel who was badly injured in the tornado that ravaged Joplin, Mo. When her owners grabbed her and ran for the safety of their basement shelter, “Sugar, sensing the increased fear of her owners, became panicky and bolted back upstairs to her own ‘safe area,” a spot under one of the beds.’ With the tornado almost atop their house, the owners could not leave the shelter to retrieve her.Sugar survived the tornado, although she was badly injured and had lost use of her hind legs. Veterinarians at the University of Missouri performed emergency surgery to correct the injury to her spine. After many days of physical rehabilitation and therapy, Sugar is recovering with her owners.In addition to this encouraging story of recovery, what caught my interest was that Sugar’s owners knew exactly where she preferred to hide when something scary was happening. This doesn’t seem like much, but knowing your pet’s favorite

hiding places can be a lifesaving advantage in an emergency. With Sugar, unfortunately, this was not the case, as she was found several blocks away. There was nothing more her owners could do without putting themselves in mortal danger (something else that is important to keep in mind in an emergency). But in a less extreme emergency, when there’s time to gather the family and pets, or when your pet is having a health emergency, you’ll be able to find your pet faster, or direct emergency personnel to where your pet normally hides, if you know where that hiding place is.

Send your question or comment to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-related advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com.

Know Your Pet’s ‘Safe Area’By Samantha Mazzotta

YOUR BUSINESS HEREfor more information call (785) 404-1000

● On Aug. 18, 1590, John White, the governor of the Roanoke Island colony in present-day North Carolina, returns from a supply trip to England to find no trace of the 100 colonists he left behind. The only clue to their disappearance was the word “CROATOAN” carved into the palisade around the settlement.

● On Aug. 17, 1877, William “Billy the Kid” Bonney kills his first man, an Arizona blacksmith. Just how many men Billy the Kid killed is uncertain. He report-edly once claimed he had killed 21 men, “one for every year of my life.”

● On Aug. 15, 1914, the Panama Canal, the Ameri-can-built waterway across the Isthmus of Panama con-necting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is inaugurated. U.S. engineers moved nearly 240 million cubic yards of earth and spent close to $400 million in constructing the 40-mile-long canal.

● On Aug. 21, 1920, Daphne Milne, wife of Eng-lish writer A.A. Milne, gives birth to a son, Christo-pher Robin Milne. When Christopher Robin received a stuffed bear as a present, his father began writing a series of stories about the bear. Christopher Robin was immortalized in A.A. Milne’s books “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “The House at Pooh Corner.”

● On Aug. 16, 1948, baseball legend George Herman “Babe” Ruth dies from cancer in New York City. For two days, tens of thousands of fans stood in line to pay their last respects. Ruth hit a record 60 home runs in the 1927 season and led the Yankees to seven pennants.

● On Aug. 19, 1960, in the USSR, captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for his confessed espionage. Only 18 months into his sentence, the Soviets released him in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a senior KGB spy who was caught and convicted in the United States five years earlier.

● On Aug. 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shoot their parents, Jose and Kitty, to death in the den of the family’s Beverly Hills, Calif., home. Police were finally tipped off to the brothers by the girlfriend of Erik’s psychotherapist, who’d taped Erik’s confession in counseling sessions.

as of August 1, 2011

Top 10 Video Rentals1. The Lincoln Lawyer (R) Matthew McConaughey

2. Insidious (PG-13) Patrick Wilson3. Rango (PG) animated

4. Season of the Witch (PG-13) Nicolas Cage5. Unknown (PG-13) Liam Neeson6. Arthur (PG-13) Russell Brand

7. Sucker Punch (PG-13) Emily Browning8. Beastly (PG-13) Vanessa Hudgens

9. The Adjustment Bureau (PG-13) Matt Damon10. Hall Pass (R) Owen Wilson

Top 10 DVD Sales1. Rango (PG) (Paramount)

2. The Lincoln Lawyer (R) (Lions Gate)3. Insidious (PG-13) (Sony)

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (PG-13) (Warner)

5. Arthur (PG-13) (Warner)6. Sucker Punch (PG-13) (Warner)

7. Entourage: The Complete Seventh Season (NR) (Warner)

8. Gnomeo & Juliet (G) (Buena Vista)9. Unknown (PG-13) (Warner)

10. Beastly (PG-13) (Sony)

Source: Rentrak Corp.

1. Willie McCovey hit in 22 consecutive games in 1959.2. Don Sutton (22 seasons), Phil Niekro (21 seasons) and Tom Seaver (20 seasons).3. C.J. Spiller of Clemson in 2009.4. Detroit’s Isiah Thomas, in the 1983-84 season.5. None.6. Henie was 15 years, 315 days old.7. Tom Watson, 1982-83.

1. Titus2. William Thornton3. Florida, Missouri4. Peter Scolari5. Kevin Spacey6. Geology7. 1940s8. Shoshone9. New Jersey10. Satyr

Tidbits® of Salina

Scammers at the DoorThe young guy at my door said the infamous words: “The offer is only good for today.” And he wanted payment in cash. That put me on alert. He was selling driveway resurfacing. Said he had enough asphalt left to do only one job, and he’d give me a good deal. I told him no.

There are some rules of thumb in this experience, when it comes to home maintenance:1. Beware those who come to the door offering services. Take their card, yes, and ask for a price if you’re interested, but don’t agree to any work either verbally or in writing.2. If the work is something you’re truly interested in having done, do it a different way. Start by get-ting references from friends. Ask whether they’re happy with the job that was done, and whether any issues were taken care of promptly. Get le-gitimate bids from people you call, not those who show up at the door.3. Call the local Better Business Bureau to check on any complaints.4. If your job involves skilled labor, just as with electrical or plumbing, ask for a copy of the li-cense and verify it with the state agency.5. Ask for a copy of the insurance certifi cate and verify it with the company.6. Don’t sign a contract you don’t understand. Have a trusted adviser go over it with you. Refuse to be rushed.7. Beware giving a large down payment. If a sup-plier will be involved, call them and ask for a ref-erence.8. Certain types of work require a permit. Verify with your local authorities.Not all those who come to your door are scam-mers, but the odds are increased for any type of business relationship that you don’t initiate your-self.

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot person-ally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].

● It was noted psychiatrist and sleep researcher William C. Dement who made the following sage observation: “Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.”

● For reasons that aren’t entirely clear in the record at hand, it’s illegal to wear a hat while dancing in Fargo, N.D.

● Despite the fact that the English language is very large in terms of the number of words available to those who can use them, it seems that much of our writing is made up of only a few words. In a study once conducted by lexicographer G.H. McKnight, it was found that approximately one-quarter of all the words in any given sample of writing in English is one of the following nine: and, be, have, it, of, the, to, will and you.

● Some species of squid can swim up to 35 mph.

● If you’re an avid hiker, you might want to keep in mind that the most dangerous trail in America, according to Backpacker magazine, is located in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The trail known as The Maze earned this distinction thanks to numerous dead-end canyons, few sources of water and temperatures that soar to over 100 de-grees F. in summer.

● If you’re like me, you’re a turophile: a lover of cheese.

● When the eggs of the Darwin frog hatch and the tadpoles emerge, the babies are swallowed by a male frog. They’re not victims of cannibalism, however; the father keeps the tadpoles in his vo-cal sac for two months. Once they’ve matured and become tiny frogs, the young ones are coughed up and have to fend for themselves.

Thought for the Day: “It’s not a good idea to put your wife into a novel; not your latest wife, any-way.” -- Norman Mailer

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