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Issue 380 - 2/9/2009
SNIPPETZ CELEBRATES ROMANCE by Deborah Stumpf 
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite. -William Shakespeare as spoken by Juliet in Romeo and Juliet Let’s face it – Valentine’s Day, the day of romance is big business. The average American spends about $120 on the holiday with men spending about twice as much as women do. Over one billion cards are exchanged each year, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card giving occasion next to Christmas. Enough to make a Hallmark store giddy. Roses are the most popular gift item, which can cost upwards of $75 per dozen of the long-stemmed variety for Valentine’s Day purchase. Valentine’s Day has a long history and is surrounded by some interesting legends. NOT ALWAYS A HALLMARK HOLIDAY There are many legends surrounding St. Valentine, who he was and how Valentine’s Day got started. One of the legends purports that Valentine was a Roman priest in the third century. At that time, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage because he felt that single men made better soldiers. It was said that Valentine secretly performed marriages anyway, and once found out by the Emperor, he was put to death. Another legend contends that Valentine was put to death for helping Christians escape prison. The legend further states that Valentine actually wrote the very first Valentine to his jailer’s daughter who visited him before his death. He allegedly signed the letter “From Your Valentine.” Some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in mid February because the Christian church wanted to ‘Christianize’ the celebration of a pagan festival called Lupercalia, which was essentially a fertility festival. In ancient Roman times, spring was thought to begin in February and was celebrated with acts symbolizing purification. Homes were cleaned and then sprinkled with salt and wheat spelt said to bring fertility. Some animals were sacrificed, of course, and young boys would take strips of goat hide, dip them in sacrificial blood and slap both women and fields of crops with the strips. This was not offensive to the women as they believed that this would make them more fertile for the upcoming year. And that’s not all. That same day, the young women in town would write their names on a piece of paper and place it in a big urn in the middle of the city. Bachelor’s would pick a name out of the urn and would be paired with the woman chosen for the remainder of the year. Although many of these matches would result in marriage, the practice was eventually outlawed by the church. THE FIRST VALENTINES Other than St. Valentine’s rumored handwritten valentine, the first known valentine was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415. Charles was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the time. A few years later, King Henry V was said to have hired a writer to compose a valentine poem for Catherine of Valois. By the mid 18th century, it became popular to exchange handwritten notes for Valentine’s Day. Manufactured or ready-made cards were available by the end of the 18th century and soon replaced the handwritten love note. It wasn’t until around the early 1700’s that valentines were commonly exchanged in the U.S. Esther A. Howland was the first to sell valentines in this country. She is known as the Mother of the Valentine with her fancy lace and ribbons designs. She sold her valentines to mainly the wealthy and charged about $5 each. FAMOUS ROMANTICS Giacomo Casanova was born in Venice in the early 18th century and was well-known for his romantic exploits throughout Europe. He was expelled from a seminary for scandalous conduct and then pursued careers as a magician and violinist. It was his posthumously published autobiography that gave him more than the usual 15 minutes of fame. Shah Jahan, once emperor at Agra of India knew how to show his love for a woman. He had the Taj Mahal built in honor of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their 14th child. At the center of the building lies the coffin of Mumtaz. Built in 1631 after 22 years of work by more than 20,000 laborers, the monument to his love remains an icon of India. Elizabeth Taylor, American actress and beauty is so fond of love that she married eight times, twice to the same man, actor Richard Burton. Taylor referred to Burton as one of the two great loves of her life, the other being Mike Todd, a film producer who died in a plane crash in 1958. GEOGRAPHICALLY ROMANTIC A trip to one of these places could be a romantic adventure:
BIG SCREEN ROMANCE Want to see a romantic movie with your sweetie? Here are a few oldies but goodies:
FAMOUS VALENTINE'S DAY WEDDINGS Many couples choose to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day. Here are a few of the more famous holiday weddings. (Those living couples that are still married are questionable. No one said it was a lucky day to be married!)
GETTING HIGH ON LOVE The Empire State Building and Brides.com are hosting a wedding for 14 couples on Valentine’s Day at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. Each couple will enjoy a private ceremony with up to 20 guests, the first ceremony scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. The Empire State Building has played host to more than 220 Valentine’s Day weddings over the past 15 years. THE COLORS OF LOVE Red – warmth and feeling (as in the heart) Pink – innocence White – purity MORE LOVE SNIPPETZ
ON THIS DAY
Issue 381 - 2/16/2009
SNIPPETZ FORECASTS THE WEATHER... OR NOT by Deborah Stumpf 
Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not. ¬-Author unknown On Feb. 2, 2009, the infamous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow which we all know translates into the dire prediction that there are six more weeks of winter. Okay, that’s an easy one – when was the last time spring started at the beginning of February? Some might say that the groundhog’s predictions are about as good as the weather forecasters we see on television – sometimes right and sometimes wrong. Some might say all one has to do is go outside and see what is happening and get a better prediction than the weatherman. Oh, but it’s not so. Predicting the weather is a complicated science, but far from perfect. EARLY PREDICTIONS Folks have been trying to predict the weather since the beginning of time. Records go as far back as 650 B.C. when the Babylonians used astronomy and cloud patterns to make predictions. In 340 B.C., Aristotle wrote “Meterologica” where he discussed his theories on earth science to include earthquakes, weather and the evaporation of water. Many would watch the behavior of animals and plants to get clues about the upcoming weather. For example, if cows lay down or ants went uphill, it meant rain was coming. WEATHER LORE Before modern day technological advances, people used all kinds of observations and folklore to predict the weather. The western sky was always a clue since trade winds carry weather systems from west to east. Much lore has some truth to it, but most of it is dependent on where you are in the world as to whether it might apply. “Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning." A red sky at sunset can signal fair weather. With high pressure, air sinks and holds onto contaminants in the air making the sky appear redder at sunset. High pressure usually means pleasant weather. And the opposite, a red sky in the east in the morning can mean that the high pressure has already passed and that low pressure with its accompanying clouds and storms can be close on the way. "Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning." Because weather generally moves from the west to east, a rainbow in the west means that rain is on its way. "Clear moon, frost soon." We’ve heard this one before. When cloud cover moves away, the earth’s heat radiates away and the earth cools more quickly, which can cause a frost if there is enough moisture available. "When the stars begin to huddle, the earth will soon become a puddle." When cloud cover increases at night, the visible stars may appear closer or “huddled” together. Stars don’t have anything to do with the possible increase in rain, but the clouds certainly do. METEOROLOGY 101 It’s all about the sun and the air surrounding the earth. The sun heats the air and either causes water evaporation or rising air. As the air rises, the temperature drops, moisture cools and causes small droplets that form clouds. When there are too many droplets of water and the clouds become too heavy, the moisture falls in the form of rain. Factor in mountains, oceans and other geographical differences, and therein lies the challenge in prediction. Many instruments are involved in weather prediction including barometers that measure air pressure, thermometers that measure temperature, anemometers that measure wind speed, hygrometers that measure humidity, barometers that measure air pressure, weather vanes for wind direction, as well as radar and satellites. Once data from these various instruments located all over the country gets to the weather service in Maryland, they are then input into computers which then make weather maps. The maps will show isobars, which are lines separating high and low pressure areas, weather fronts, air masses, cloud cover and areas of precipitation. From these, forecasts can be made. A CAREER IN METEOROLOGY Where else can you get a job where you can get paid for being right 50 percent of the time? A career in meteorology begins with high school coursework – physics, chemistry, earth science, mathematics (lots of it), computer science, writing and any and all foreign languages. In college, an undergraduate program in atmospheric science or meteorology may be sufficient unless you want to be a researcher. Then you need a master’s and most likely a doctorate. Coursework is loaded with physics, engineering, mathematics and chemistry. There is no basket-weaving for this field of study. Specialties are available in many areas such as agricultural meteorology and global change research, requiring additional coursework in oceanography, biology, ecology and geophysics. WEATHER RECORDS
OH, THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL! Let’s talk snow. What a difference 15-20 miles can make. The average annual snowfall for Colorado Springs is about 42 inches; and for Monument, it’s just over 100 inches. About 70 percent of the snowfall in the U.S. happens during Dec., Jan. and Feb, except for those of us on the eastern slopes of the Rockies who experience our snowiest months in March and April.
CAN'T GET ENOUGH WEATHER?
Issue 382 - 2/23/2009
SNIPPETZ INVESTIGATES THE REAL MEANING OF NURSERY RHYMES by Deborah Stumpf 
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun And the dish ran away with the spoon! Jack and Jill went up the hill and Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and many other nursery rhymes were part of our childhood and our kids’ childhood and grandparents, great grandparents and so on. So, who came up with nursery rhymes and why? No one knows for sure, but there are many guesses and theories. Most agree that many nursery rhymes were probably rooted in historical events, politics and gossip. WHY RHYME IT? We do know that most nursery rhymes originated in Great Britain beginning in the 17th century. There are some even older, such as “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” which was documented as coming from the Middle Ages. Some say nursery rhymes were written to provide children a way to learn concepts in language as well as math, or to soothe a fussy baby. Other say that most nursery rhymes were not written for the purpose of entertaining children, but would be made up to memorialize an important event, express feelings, spread gossip about royalty or as a way to express political views in an oppressive environment. Some hold gruesome contents, but seem like child’s play when sung or chanted in verse. HIDDEN MEANINGS The different rumors and theories surrounding the meaning of some well-known nursery rhymes are aplenty. Have you heard any of these? RING AROUND THE ROSEY for the Plague – Refers to the Great Plague of 1665. A “pocket full of posies” may refer to the herbs and spices that would go into the pocket of an ill person to freshen the air. “Ashes, Ashes” is the American version; “A-tishoo, A-tishoo” is the English version, mimicking the sound of a sneeze. “Well all fall down” refers to death. With that said, some say that this rhyme was around even before the Great Plague, so could not be connected. OLD MOTHER HUBBARD Gets an Annulment – May refer to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who tried to get King Henry VIII’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon annulled. The symbols are the dog as Henry VIII, the cupboard as the Catholic Church and Old Mother Hubbard as the Cardinal. The bone, of course, is the sought after annulment. JACK BE NIMBLE and Married – During wedding festivities people took turns jumping over a lit candle. If the candle stayed lit, the jumper would experience a year of good luck. If the candle was extinguished from the jumper’s breeze, then a year of bad luck would follow. HUMPTY DUMPTY the Canon – Humpty Dumpty was the nickname of the very large canon that was placed on the wall next to St. Mary’s Church in Colchester, England during the English Civil War of the mid 17th century. The Parliamentarians attacked the Royalists, damaging the wall where the Humpty Dumpty canon was placed (…came tumbling down). The canon was so heavy that the Royalists (the king’s men) couldn’t put it back on the wall. Eventually, the Royalists had to surrender to the Parliamentarians. GOOSEY GOOSEY GANDER Hides From Religious Persecution – One rumor purports that in the 16th century Catholic priests were said to hide from Protestants who would execute them for their beliefs. (“There I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayers, so I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.”) MARY, MARY QUITE CONTRARY and Bloody Mary Indeed – Mary refers to King Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary Tudor, a Catholic who persecuted the Protestants. The garden of silver bells and cockle shells are the nicknames of Mary’s favorite instruments of torture. The maids all in a row refer to the guillotines used for beheading the Protestant believers, referred to as maidens. THREE BLIND MICE Go After Bloody Mary – Not too sharp, the three blind mice may refer to three Protestant noblemen who dared go up against Mary Tudor who had them burnt at the stake and dismembered rather than beheaded. RAIN, RAIN GO TO SPAIN Never Show Your Face Again are the last two lines of the famous children’s poem “Rain, Rain go away.” It might be a stretch, but some say that the poem refers to the early 16th century when Spain and England were at each other’s throats on a regular basis. In 1588 when the Spanish Armada headed toward England, they were met by small but mighty English ships aided by a great rain storm. The attack failed and the Spaniards return to their homeland in fewer numbers than when they departed. LITTLE JACK HORNER Bribes the King – Little Jack Horner is said to portray Thomas Horner, who was the steward of the Benedictine Monastery. Around 1540 after King Henry VIII (him again) denounced the Catholic Church, he began seizing all of the Catholic monasteries to rob them of any valuables. The Benedictine Monastery was the largest in the land and attempted to bribe the king by offering the deeds to other properties it held. It was Thomas Horner who was sent off to see the king with the deeds of 12 properties buried in a pie. (Hiding valuables in food was a common occurrence in those days.) Somewhere along the way, the story goes that Jack stuck his finger in the pie and pulled out one of the deeds. The story continues to include treachery and treason mixed in with the usual convictions and hangings. Nonetheless, Horner moved into one of those properties and generations of the Horner family lived there until the 20th century. The family denies any allegations that he may have stole the property. PETER, PETER PUMPKIN EATER Eater Stoops to Drastic Measures – Some say this has something to do with Halloween and must have originated in the U.S. since pumpkins were not grown in Great Britain where most nursery rhymes were originated. There are others who conjecture that Peter’s wife cheated on him (had a wife and couldn’t keep her) and the pumpkin (put her in a pumpkin shell) symbolized a chastity belt. Once locked up, she was not to wander again (and there he kept her, very well). Enough said about that one. WHO IS MOTHER GOOSE? Theories abound about where Mother Goose came from. Was it France, America or England? Whatever the case may be, the first known book of nursery rhymes was published in England in 1765. However, there is evidence that books called “chapbooks” were published in England as early as 1570 that contained various writings including rhymes for children. A total of three Americans from the 19th century declared that a woman named Eliza Goose told stories to her grandchildren that were eventually published. There is no evidence of the publication they spoke of. There are two theories that Mother Goose came from France. One is that Queen Goosefoot might have been Mother Goose even though she was nicknamed Goosefoot because one of her feet was bigger than the other. Another belief is that Bertha de Laon, Mother of Charlemagne was Mother Goose because it was believed that she was the model for a statue of a woman telling stories to children surrounding her. The most proof available is that the name Mother Goose has been found in French writing. Finally, England, the home of many nursery rhymes is the focus of the third theory. A nursemaid named Martha Gooch from the 1700’s was said to sing rhymes to the children she cared for. She was teased for that and people starting calling her Mother Goose after the Queen of France. LONDON BRIDGE There were various versions of the London Bridge, but in the rhyme, it’s always falling down no matter what it’s built from. The London bridge that was built in 1831 was sold to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1962. It was dismantled piece by piece and reconstructed to cross a channel connecting with Thompson Bay. The bridge still stands today at that location. 
Issue 383 - 3/2/2009
SNIPPETZ IS HAUNTED BY GHOSTWRITERS OF THE PAST By Deborah Stumpf… Or Is It? 
"When it comes to ghostwriting, instead of doing the haunting, the ghost becomes the haunted."
-Barbara Feinman Todd Author and Ghostwriter A ghostwriter is someone who writes material such as books, articles and speeches for another individual who authorizes the writing. It is a common occurrence nowadays for ghostwriters to be hired to pen speeches and autobiographies for politicians, Hollywood stars and business executives, as well as ebooks and internet blogs. But ghostwriting has been around for a long time and is now a fruitful and somewhat respectable business, although some may argue that point. No one keeps statistics on how many books are written by ghostwriters, but some experts believe that nearly 50 percent of nonfiction books may be ghostwritten and up to 40 percent of fiction. A GHOSTLY PAST It may have started as far back as the third millennium BC in Mesopotamia where characters were written in moist clay. Kings and other elite would dictate important issues of the time to scribes who would make imprints into the clay as well as make additional copies as necessary. No computers for this job. Later it was parchment in Egypt and wax tablets in Rome, only a slight improvement over clay. The very first novel may very well have been “Tale of the Genji” written by a Japanese noblewoman, Murasaki Shikibu in early 11th century. At over 4,000 pages and 50 chapters, the masterpiece is rumored to have had a ghostwriter for part of the book. Apparently, beyond chapter 33, the book seems to be written in a different style. Some believe that it was Shikibu’s daughter, Daini no Sanmi who completed the book for her. Although the writing style was different, the work was true to Shikibu’s ideas. WHO WROTE IT? Ghostwriters tend to be one of those best kept secrets, which is part of the benefits for hiring a ghostwriter. However, many ghostwriters are given credit or a byline, as in being noted as a co-author or “as told by.” For the most part, the writing is the spirit and story of the author. The job of the ghostwriter is to spend considerable time interviewing and working with the author in order to put their story into words. There have been some notable books, however, where the ‘author’ has clearly not read all of the book they have written. Take “Ronald Reagan: An American Life,” ghosted by Robert Lindsey. The former president once said, "I hear it's a terrific book! One of these days I'm going to read it myself." Basketball star Charles Barkley accused his ghostwriter of misquoting him. Apparently Barkley didn’t read his autobiography either. SOME FAMOUS AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AND NONFICTION WORKS
NOTABLE FICTION It might be less known that ghostwriters engage in fiction writing for creative ‘authors’ who have little time or insufficient writing skills or in the case of a series, the need for multiple writers. Author Edward Stratemeyer started a group of ghostwriters under the umbrella of Stratemeyer Syndicate in order to continue pumping out series such as Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, the Rover Boys and the Bobbsey Twins. The Animal Ark series authored by Lucy Daniels has obtained help from ghostwriters to publish more than 100 in that series. Ghostwriters are supplied with in-depth information regarding story lines, characters and goals in order to accomplish their task. H.P. Lovecraft was an early 20th century author of horror and fantasy. He is most famous for “Cthulu Mythos,” which is considered the benchmark from which much modern horror and science fiction has come from. However, to make a living in the early days, he was a ghostwriter for others including Harry Houdini’s “Under the Pyramids,” “The Mound” by Zelia Bishop and “The Diary of Alonzo Typer” by William Lumley. William Shatner also used a ghostwriter for his science fiction novels. Alexandre Dumas was said to use as many as 70 ghostwriters, called ‘assistantes’ to write for “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Some of author Tom Clancy’s espionage and military thrillers have been written by ghostwriters. Clive Cussler, a techno-thriller author, also works closely with ghostwriters to produce his popular novels. Both authors give credit to their collaborators. George Lucas’ “Star Wars” was written by Alan Dean Foster. WRITING FOR THE GHOST Some authors are so popular that ghostwriters continue to write under their name after death. For example, Andrew Neiderman wrote for Virginia Andrews, author of the “Flowers in the Attic” series. Andrews died in 1986, but the story lived on. Robert Ludlum wrote 25 thriller novels up until his death in 2001. Well-hidden ghostwriters continue to write faithful to his style. TO WRITE OR NOT TO WRITE There are probably as many theories about the actual authorship of William Shakespeare’s work as there are works by Shakespeare. Conspiracy theories have been abound since the 1700’s. Many arguments attest to the idea that Shakespeare could not have written his plays; arguments such as he was not educated enough and he was of such low social standing that it would be nearly impossible for him to know as much about faraway places as he wrote about. Others have been strongly suggested as the correct authors of Shakespeare’s work such as Queen Elizabeth I, Walter Raleigh and William Stanley, Earl of Derby. Three of the most notables are:
MORE GHOSTLY FACTS
Issue 384 - 3/9/2009
SNIPPETZ NEVER SLEEPS... WE JUST DREAM by Deborah Stumpf 
"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives."
-William Dement, Sleep Researcher Everyone dreams (most mammals and even some bird species!), but not everyone agrees on what dreams really are or what they mean. Dreams have been a topic of speculation, study and theory for centuries. It is fairly agreed upon by the experts that dreams occur only during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep when brain activity is similar to wakefulness. Nonetheless, dreams have been and probably will continue to be a topic of fascination for most of us. DREAMS THROUGHOUT THE AGES During the Greek and Roman ages, dreams were a very significant part of life. People looked to their dreams to predict the future or to provide solutions to problems. Dreams were mostly thought of in a religious context as messages from ancestors or the gods. Between about 100 and 300 B.C., it was believed that dreams had the power to heal the sick and were often part of medical diagnosis and cure. Temples were built for the sick to sleep in so that they could be healed by using their dreams. Egyptians who had very vivid dreams were thought to be blessed and those who could interpret dreams, usually priests, were thought to have had the gift of interpretation bestowed upon them by God. The Chinese believed that the soul left the body during a dream and that one should never be awakened lest the soul would not be able to return to the body. By the Middle Ages, people saw dreams as temptations from the devil. By the early 19th century, not much attention was paid to dreams as it was thought that they came from some type of anxiety with no meaning behind them. ALONG CAME SIGMUND FREUD The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud began to study dreams as a way to understand personality. He believed that every thought and action was motivated by our unconscious minds. Freud described the mind as containing three parts:
Freud believed that dreams were the id’s opportunity to be free and express itself, and the job of the superego was to keep the id from remembering the more disturbing parts of dreams. There have been many theories beyond Freud’s, but according to a study recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people tend to agree with Freud in that their dreams reveal hidden truths. The study also found that many people will make decisions based on information from dreams because they feel that their dreams give them insight. OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT DREAMING There are many theories surrounding the function of dreams:
COMMON DREAM THEMES There are many people who make a living out of analyzing dreams. If interested in dream analysis, the first step is to write down as much of your dream content as possible and as quickly as possible. We forget 50 percent of our dreams within five minutes of waking and 90 percent within 10 minutes. Interested in analyzing your own dreams? Here are some common dream themes and possible meanings. In most cases there are multiple potential meanings.
DREAM SNIPPETZ
Issue 385 - 3/16/2009
SNIPPETZ IS CAPTIVATED BY 
LITTLE GREEN MEN
by Deborah Stumpf "Hello, I'm Leonard Nimoy. The following tale of alien encounters is true. By true I mean false. It's all lies. But they're entertaining lies and in the end, isn't that the truth? The answer is no." - Leonard Nimoy Actor famous for the role of Spock on “Star Trek: The Original Series” Looking to travel to another planet…for free? March 20 may be your opportunity as it is Extraterrestrial Abductions Day. If you have an interest in being abducted, you may want to keep your eyes to the skies and travel deserted highways searching for UFO’s that may be looking to pick up an earth human or two. EARLY BELIEFS IN EXRATERRESTRIAL LIFE There has always been a belief in the possibility of life on other planets. And why not?
DRAKE EQUATION Dr. Frank Drake, a University of California, Santa Cruz astrophysicist and astronomer developed the Drake equation which he used in 1961 to estimate that there are 10,000 planets with intelligent life. His equation uses figures that involve rate of formation of stars, fraction of those stars that contain planets, number of earth-like worlds, and so on. By plugging in figures obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope, there could be the following:
NOT ALWAYS LITTLE GREEN MEN There have been a variety of types of aliens reported from those who have been abducted. The most common are:
ANATOMY OF AN ABDUCTION According to the Roper Poll conducted of 6,000 Americans in 1991, scientists estimated about four million Americans have been abducted by aliens – no small figure. But are these real abductions? No one knows for sure, but those who study extraterrestrial phenomena believe that many of the reports are due to mental illness, dreaming, hallucinations or manifestations of psychosis. However, this has never explained all reports and experts in the field continue to keep an open mind.
FAMOUS ABDUCTIONS Some bizarre stories of abductions have made the headlines and even shown up in the movies. Most reports tell of negative experiences including torture, scientific study and mating rituals. But some have positive feelings about their experience and captors. The case of Barney and Betty Hill, reportedly abducted in 1961, became known several years later in a made for TV movie starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons in 1975. The Hills were reportedly abducted near the town of Lancaster after they continued to watch a light moving in the sky. Eventually, Barney stopped the car, got out and tried to look at the UFO through binoculars. Once he got back in the car and tried to speed away out of fear of capture, they heard a high-pitched sound above their car. The Hills reported that they woke up in their car two hours later at a point 35 miles south of where this event took place. They reported the incident to the officials at Pease Air Force Base and their story was documented by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. Within a few weeks, Betty Hill began to have nightmares that led to treatment for both her and Barney for anxiety surrounding their abduction. During hypnotherapy they revealed information about an examination they endured as well as details about the extraterrestrials’ planet. Some years later researchers found a match between Betty’s star map and a cluster of stars near two other stars called Zeta Reticuli, which were previously unknown. It was 1975 when Travis Walton, a logger in Arizona was traveling home with five other crew members when they stopped to watch a disc-shaped UFO ahead of them above the road. Travis was the only man to leave the car to investigate and the others witnessed him being swallowed up by a blue-green light and pulled into the spaceship. Travis was missing for five days. During hypnosis, Travis reports Gray men, some humans and a mask being put over his face after which he passed out. He next remembers hovering over the highway and being dropped off. A book was written and movie “Fire in the Sky” was produced chronicling his experience. He and his fellow loggers all passed polygraph exams. OUR FASCINATION WITH ALIENS It is not hard to see that we earth humans are fascinated with aliens. Just look at the proliferation of science fiction novels, movies and TV shows, as well as sitcoms and cartoons. Na-nu, Na-nu…Remember Mork from Ork? From 1978 to 1982, Mork entertained us in sitcom land with his zany antics while living with Mindy in Boulder, Colo. The Mork character made famous by actor Robin Williams first appeared on an episode of “Happy Days” where he attempted to abduct Richie Cunningham and take him back to Ork for a study of humdrum human specimens. It was Fonzie who saved the day and kept Richie in Mr. and Mrs. C’s home. E.T. Phone Home…In the movie about the endearing alien botanist E.T., he comes to earth in 1982 with other botanists from his planet and gets left behind. He meets and befriends Elliott (Henry Thomas) along with sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) and brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton). So enchanted by E.T., we never bothered to find out just where he came from. We only know that the planet had a different biochemistry which is why E.T. could not survive on Reese’s Pieces here on earth. Who is Exigious 12½? With only a three-year run from 1963 to 1966, the TV sitcom “My Favorite Martian” still managed to generate an animated series and a movie. When the anthropology alien from Mars crash lands in California, Tim O’Hara (Bill Bixby) sees the spaceship crash, rescues him and takes him home to live with him while ‘Uncle Martin’ (Ray Walston) works at rebuilding his spaceship for a return trip home. Uncle Martin had many entertaining skills such as the ability to telepathically communicate, read minds, communicate with animals and levitate. He was also a great inventor, coming up with such devices as a time travel machine and a molecular separator which could turn certain objects or living things into other things. Walston played Uncle Martin in an AT&T commercial in 2000 and was reunited with Bill Bixby on an episode of The Incredible Hulk entitled “My Favorite Magician.” In the early 1990’s, planning was taking place for a reunion; however, Bill Bixby’s health was declining at the time, rendering the reunion not feasible. Yoda and Commander Spock…Article upon article could be written around Star Wars and Star Trek, both extremely popular over multiple decades, stories heavily involving alien beings, both friendly and not so friendly. ABDUCTION SNIPPETZ
Issue 386 - 3/23/2009
SNIPPETZ TAKES A DIP IN THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH by Deborah Stumpf 
Good news! Our life expectancy is now at an average of 78.6 years – a little more for women and a little less for men. The bad news is that our bodies still age and show the signs of aging and we don’t like it! Whether it be medical advancements or healthier living, as a species we are doing something right. Becoming and staying healthy can take some real commitment in terms of time and in some cases in shelling out much in the way of dollars to maintain that good health and young looks.
STILL THE BAD GUYS The top three leading causes of death have been and continue to be heart disease, cancer and stroke, all three of which can either be prevented or minimized through lifestyle. A SIMPLE PROCESS… According to the experts, staying healthy and youthful is simple and not costly:
A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED... Every day we pick up the paper or turn on the news to learn of some new discovery that makes the ‘simple’ measures more complicated.
FEEDING THE SOUL Researchers have discovered that the spiritual and social side of humans plays an enormously important role in longevity. It has long been known that feeding our minds and souls is good for the ill, but it is now good for everyone and may help stave off illness and increase lifespan. Positive thinking is tops on the list and may be the most challenging. Being connected to others is also a significant factor for a long life. THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND TO INCREASE LIFESPAN:
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH FOR SALE There are 75 million baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) in the U.S., many of whom are more concerned about maintaining health and looking/feeling younger than they are about financial security and retirement. The anti-aging market is the fastest growing in the U.S. currently at about $200 billion and expected to increase to $1 trillion, yes trillion, by 2010. The numbers are staggering. Where’s the money going? Well, to diet supplements, skin care and medical procedures to name a few. Sixty percent of Americans take dietary supplements regularly in an effort to reduce cholesterol, manage weight, get well and prevent disease and illness. Another 23 percent purchase supplements and at least take them periodically. The cost of these supplements is at least $6 billion per year. And, generally speaking, there is little firm evidence that these supplements are the panacea for good health. Skin care accounts for a large chunk of the anti-aging dollar spent and is expected to continue to increase. Sun damage is the number one reason for skin damage, but If staying out of the sun isn’t an option, cosmetics may be the answer. Many are packed with collagen (maintains the skin’s elasticity) or products that stimulate the production of collagen. Over-the-counter skin peels can be purchased as well as scrubs, concealers and toners. Over $13 billion is spent annually on cosmetic procedures. Interestingly enough, 47 percent of all procedures are performed on men and women between the ages of 35 and 50; and 25 percent between the ages of 51 and 64. Only six percent over the age of 65 will spend their retirement money on cosmetic procedures. Maybe by then we just don’t care anymore. IF ALL ELSE FAILS... GO UNDER THE KNIFE... OR LASER If you look at the numbers – nearly 12 million cosmetic surgical as well as nonsurgical procedures performed annually – you might say that we are a nation obsessed with our looks. Women represent 91 percent of the consumers. SOME OF THE TOP SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR WOMEN:
AND FOR MEN:
TOP NONSURGICAL PROCEDURES BOTH MEN AND WOMEN PURCHASE:
MORE ABOUT ANTI-AGING
Issue 387 - 3/30/2009
SNIPPETZ IS HAPPY TO HAVE MOM AND POP GIVE US THE BUSINESS by Deborah Stumpf 
"Working for someone else is nothing like being an entrepreneur and the boss of your own business. To become an entrepreneur requires a different plan or map. You’ll be taking a different road, to a different destination."
-Noel Peebles, Author March 29th of every year is marked as National Mom-and-Pop Business Owners Day. At Snippetz, we think the celebration should last the entire week! It’s the small business owners who work tirelessly day in and day out to provide products and services needed by our communities. The National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day was started by the son of Ruth’s Hat Shop owners who started their store in 1939 in Everett, Mass. This mom and pop eventually grew to a 10,000 sq. ft. location with a revenue stream of $2 million, selling not only hats but women’s specialty clothing. The store closed in 1997. WHO IS MOM & POP? The term “Mom-and-Pop Business” refers to a business operated by a single family with 10 or less employees or most likely no employees. These businesses have historically been called “Mom-and-Pop” because they were started by husband and wife teams who would continue to operate the business together, possibly employing other family members to help. Nowadays, Mom-and-Pop can mean mom, pop, father-son, mother-daughter, close friends and significant others. Nonetheless, the business is small and operated by few people. Mom-and-Pop shops were once the mainstay of the American economy and the cornerstone of neighborhoods. Typically, mom and pop owned the corner drug store which not only housed the pharmacy, but also sold over-the-counter medications, gifts and other notions. Many times the drugstore also offered a soda fountain making it a hub for social activity. Oftentimes the pharmacist was the owner. Across the street from the drugstore might be the mom-and-pop general store which carried just about everything the drugstore didn’t have – household cleaning products, canned and dry goods, fabrics and books. Similar to the local drugstore, everyone went to the general store, making it a center for social activity for townspeople. STILL GOING STRONG Contrary to popular belief, the big box stores have NOT closed up every mom-and-pop entity it builds next door to. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in Colorado alone there are over 385,000 “non-employee entities” representing over $17 million in receipts. Non-employee entities are those which are individuals or sole proprietorships that do not pay employment taxes. Many of these businesses are considered “microbusinesses” which are the very smallest and may operate out of private homes. FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITH EMPLOYEES:
IN GENERAL, FAMILY BUSINESSES ARE STILL THE BACKBONE OF AMERICAN BUSINESS. CONSIDER THIS:
WHY WE STILL LOVE THE MOM & POP SHOP The small business has stayed alive because it doesn’t compete head-on with the big box stores. The Mom-and-Pop’s can offer:
WHY MOM & POPS LOVE BEING MOM & POPS Independence, independence, independence. Surveys have shown that moms and pops choose to leave their company jobs for the sake of being their own bosses. They want to be independent – making their own choices, making their own decisions and taking risks in an effort to reap the rewards. And sometimes those rewards can be simply the independence itself along with being able to support their families comfortably without any intent to become millionaires. However, the sacrifices can be numerous – long hours, financial ups and downs and sometimes missing out on important family activities. WANT TO START A SMALL BUSINESS? You’re in luck because there are resources aplenty, starting with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), an independent agency of the federal government which is there to assist small businesses in starting up, building and growing. The SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit organization offering free counseling to small businesses throughout the country through volunteer retired business people. Both of these organizations can help lead a business with a successful startup through all possible phases by providing a roadmap. Their websites provide valuable information and links to a vast array of services. SOME UNIQUE SMALL BUSINESS NAMES Heard of any of these?
SOME OF THE BEST NAMES HAVE COME FROM TELEVISION AND MOVIES:
Issue 388 - 4/6/2009
SNIPPETZ IS ALL JAZZED UP FOR JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH by Deborah Stumpf 
“If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know.”
- Louis Armstrong We’re dusting off our dancing shoes at Snippetz because it’s Jazz Appreciation Month! Jazz has been evolving since the 1600’s, has spawned more than a couple dozen distinct styles and continues to be a prominent force in American music. The Joint Houses of Congress declared jazz to be an “American National Treasure” in 1987, recognizing the music’s cultural significance to the country. JAZZ ROOTS With a rich history too extensive to give it justice in this writing, there is no arguing the fact that American jazz is rooted in black slavery. Slaves sang work songs, spirituals and sorrowful songs, most of which were improvised. The blues combined the West African black folk music that was developed in America and combined with late 18th and early 19th century European classical and folk music. New Orleans is considered the birth place of jazz which then spread to Chicago, Kansas City, New York and on to the west coast. The original blues inspired ragtime, Dixieland jazz, swing, bop/bebop, progressive jazz, neo-bob/hard-bop, Latin-jazz, jazz-rock, free jazz and many more variations. But it all began with improvisation with the occasional foray into less freeform performances and more structured and rehearsed performances in venues such as Swing or Big Band music. LIGHT ON OUR FEET Jazz music received a lot of bad press in its earlier days. Many thought the music immoral and pathological with its rhythms that could incite physical passion. Clearly a danger to the moral character of young girls! We’ve come a long way, baby. Some popular dances that came from jazz were The Shimmy, which showed up on Broadway and in Mae West’s “Sometimes.” The Black Bottom was so named because of the dragging and sluggish foot movement, suggesting a drag through the mud. The Charleston became hugely popular and was performed in 1923 on Broadway in “Liza.” INFLUENTIAL JAZZ ARTISTS Scott Joplin (1867 or 1868-1917) was known as the “The King of Ragtime.” Joplin was born in Texas of a former slave and a free-born woman of color. He was mostly self-taught while a youth, but eventually received some formal classical music training. In 1898, he produced “Original Rags,” followed by the “Maple Leaf Rag,” in 1899, which became a national and international hit. He also wrote “The Entertainer.” He spent much of his life in St. Louis with some time spent in both Chicago and New York. Although he was best known for jazz compositions, he also wrote opera. Gone, but never forgotten, Joplin’s music was revitalized in the 1940’s as well as the 1970’s on Broadway. His music was used in the hit movie, “The Sting.” Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), well known for such songs as “What a Wonderful World,” started playing the cornet at the age of seven. He was an elementary school dropout, wandering the streets playing music, eventually being placed in a home for troubled boys. He played a bugle and cornet in the band while at the home. When he was released at the age of 13 he began selling newspapers and unloading bananas from boats to earn money. Another important cornet player, Joe “King” Oliver, mentored Armstrong before he left to play in Chicago. Armstrong eventually followed Oliver to Chicago in 1922 to play in his band. In 1924 he went to New York for a year to play with Fletcher Henderson’s band before returning to Chicago to start his own band, the Hot Five. Armstrong began playing the trumpet at this time. His record producer encouraged him to sing and started “scat” music, using improvisation and nonsensical sounds. Back to New York in 1929, Armstrong became one of the most well-known jazz artists in America and abroad. He was a recording artist, played in movies and on Broadway. Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was considered the First Lady of Song. Fitzgerald was raised in a New York orphanage and her musical prowess was discovered during a talent contest when she was 16 years old. In 1935 she then joined Chick Webb’s band and recorded “A-Tisket A-Tasket” shortly thereafter. She never looked back, touring with both nationally and internationally with Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Louie Armstrong. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, she recorded numerous albums of songs written by some of the best – Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. She appeared all over the world in concerts and in movies. She earned 12 Grammy Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. Miles Davis (1926-1991) began his musical career as a teen in St. Louis and moved to New York after high school with the intention of attending Julliard School of Music. He skipped out on the Julliard experience, instead playing trumpet with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker’s group. He started his own band in 1949, the beginning of many different groups. Davis was a gifted musician whose style evolved over time into cool jazz, fusion (rock music and jazz) and even played Flamenco. He was well known for bringing new and talented artists into his group who would then go off on their own, such as John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and many others. He appeared on the TV show “Miami Vice”, the movie “Dingo in 1990 and made commercials for a radio station. Davis died in 1991 after winning several Grammy Awards in the 1980’s. Nat 'King' Cole (March 17, 1919 - February 15, 1965) Read the full article: Snippetz Issue 653 JAZZ IN A WORD There are folks out there who spend lifetimes studying words and many who have tried to determine exactly when the term ‘jazz’ was used to describe music or anything else for that matter. The earliest seen in writing was in the Los Angeles Times in 1912 which referred to the Portland Beavers pitcher Ben Henderson’s “jazz ball.” Henderson said his jazz ball “wobbles and you simply can’t do anything with it.” The term jazz was used again in conjunction with baseball in 1913 and meant something spirited, energetic, peppy, joyous. Jazz, the word, entrenched itself in academia during 1915-1918 at both the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. President Benjamin Ide Wheeler at Berkeley used the term so much that many thought he invented the word. The word jazz itself wasn’t used to describe music until 1915 in Chicago. A musician and bandleader, Bert Kelly reportedly was familiar with the term from his time in California and claimed to use the word to name his 1915 band in Chicago called Bert Kelly’s Jazz Band. The word jazz found its way to New Orleans in 1918, spelled ‘jass.’ RECRUITING FOR THE ARMY Even though slavery was long gone by the time World War I began in 1917, the country was deep into segregation. And that included the military. A white military officer, Colonel William Hayward, was so impressed with black soldiers in the Spanish American War that he persuaded the army to recruit African-Americans for WWI duty. His recruiting strategy was a bit unusual. Hayward used the jazz music craze to his advantage by recruiting James Reese Europe, a well-known orchestra leader from Harlem, to become an officer and a bandleader in the service. Europe recruited 60 African-American and Caribbean musicians to form a jazz band which toured Harlem in New York as well as other cities in order to recruit African-American men for the army. His recruits formed the 359th regiment and were sent to the country of Europe to become the first American soldiers to go to France. They were known as the Harlem Hell Fighters and saw 200 days of continuous warfare. Two of the fighters earned France’s highest military medal for bravery. More importantly for jazz music, these soldiers played in their band as much as possible across Europe – the first jazz music heard by the Europeans – and they loved it. The band played in numerous victory parades after the war including one in New York. When James Europe died, he received full military honors with a funeral procession down Fifth Avenue in New York. This is the first time an African-American received such an honor. THE BIG APPLE AND JAZZ The term “Big Apple” was coined by a sportswriter named John Fitzgerald in the 1920’s who named his column “Around the Big Apple” after hearing some New Orleans stable hands call New York City’s racetracks “The Big Apple.” A decade or so later, jazz musicians began referring to Harlem in particular and New York City in general as the big apple: “There are many apples on the trees of success, but when you pick New York City, you pick the big apple.” LOCAL JAZZ SCENE Think Colorado Springs is devoid of jazz? Well, you might be wrong about that! Although there is only one jazz radio station, 105.5 Smooth Jazz, there are several locations around town that offer regular jazz venues:
For you jazz lovers, there is the Pikes Peak Jazz and Swing Society for all things pertaining to jazz in Colorado Springs. Their website is www.ppjass.org. 
Issue 389 - 4/13/2009
SNIPPETZ OPENS THE BOOK ON NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK by Deborah Stumpf 
"The richest person in the world - in fact all the riches in the world - couldn't provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library."
-Malcolm Forbes National Library Week is April 13-18, a good time to celebrate all that libraries do for our communities! Remember when libraries were rather ominous structures full of musty-smelling books and shushing librarians? Well, if you’ve been to one lately, you know that the neighborhood library is a bustling center of activity. It’s not just for borrowing a book and researching a term paper or thesis. It’s more than that. Now you can check out a movie on DVD, an Xbox 360 or PS3 game; or borrow a book that you can listen to on the MP3 player that comes with it. And if you don’t want to travel to the library, hop online and download a book to play on your MP3. In fact, the online library offers many services. On any given day, you can walk in the library and find something different going on - something for everyone. HISTORY OF HISTORY KEEPERS Archeological findings have dug up rooms full of clay tablets from ancient cities. Topics of writings were usually commercial transactions and only rarely theological writings or legends. The same types of writings were found in Ancient Egypt, except on papyrus. It wasn’t until some time around the fifth century that fiction and non-fiction writings appeared in Greece on parchment scrolls followed by papyrus scrolls. Except for the Alexandria Library in Egypt, most libraries were private collections. It is thought that the Chinese were the first to establish a classification system during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.) with the library catalog written on scrolls of silk. The first public libraries in the West were built under the Roman Empire and each emperor would strive to build the biggest and best over their predecessor. In these libraries, visitors would have direct access to the scrolls, although they were only to be read inside of the library. Medieval libraries were designed for the labor-intensive books that were literally handwritten. These books were so expensive to produce that they had to be chained to lecterns and shelves so as not to be stolen. The stack system came about in the early 19th century when books became less expensive to produce, and libraries were built with translucent floors to let the light in. Fortunately, electricity came along ending the need for designing libraries that maximized use of natural light. FAMOUS LIBRARIES
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES It was Franklin D. Roosevelt who is credited with starting the presidential library system. Until his presidency, important government papers and documents were lost, destroyed or even sold. Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955 and there are now 13 presidential libraries, much like museums in a sense. They house collections of artifacts and documents of each of the president’s administrations open for the public to see. AN HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE PIKES PEAK LIBRARY DISTRICT
A LIBRARY FOR EVERYONE
LIBRARY SNIPPETZ
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