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Issue 390 - 4/20/2009
SNIPPETZ GETS DOWN TO EARTH by Deborah Stumpf 
"A true forest is not merely a storehouse full of wood, but, as it were, a factor of wood, and at the same time a reservoir of water. When you help to preserve our forests or, to plant new ones, you are acting the part of good citizens."
- President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) April is the time for Earth Day and Arbor Day when our hearts turn to spring planting and hopes of a bountiful summer season. Besides giving us oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, plants and trees give us many useful products and a beautiful environment to live in. So, why not plant a few trees and flowers, and maybe try a few vegetables, too! Earth Day Earth Day is the largest civil event in the world, boasting over one billion people participating in activities in 174 countries. Earth Day is always celebrated on April 22 of each year. The event was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin in 1970 after a visit to Santa Barbara in 1969 to witness the effects of the oil spill that took place off the California coast. He and his assistant, Denis Hayes then introduced a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth. Earth day was not formally celebrated again until 1990 when the Community Environmental Council, an organization also founded in 1970, organized an event. Earth Day has been an annual celebration ever since. Arbor Day The first Arbor Day began in Nebraska, started by Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a journalist and politician. While on the Nebraska state board of agriculture, Morton proposed that a day each year be dedicated to the importance of trees and tree planting. Nebraska declared April 22, chosen to honor Morton’s birthday, as a legal Arbor Day holiday beginning in 1885. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a proclamation to school children that a day every year and mainly in April, would be given to recognizing the importance of trees to the nation, as well as actually planting trees. It wasn’t until 1970 that President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. The holiday is celebrated in all 50 states with the official date set by the individual state depending on their climate. Arbor Day is celebrated on the third Friday in April in Colorado; this year it is April 17. Sterling is considered the Father of Arbor Day. Arbor Day Around the World Arbor Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, but not always called Arbor day: • Israel – The New Year’s Days of Trees • India – The National Festival of Tree Planting • Japan – Greening Week • Iceland – Student’s Afforestation Day • Korea – Tree-Loving Week • Yugoslavia – The Reforestation Week Trees are not just for paper … Everywhere we look there are visible signs of products made from trees – paper, furniture, tool handles, flooring, kitchen utensils, piano keys, golf tees, and more… • Bowling alley lanes and pins • Veneer • Spices, i.e., bay leaves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon • Products that come from wood-derived chemicals include cosmetics, hairspray, fungicides, chewing gum, suntan lotion, liquid nail polish, linoleum, sausage casings and cleaning compounds Cellulose is not the same as cellulite Trees also give us cellulose from the walls of tree cells which is used as a food thickener in syrup, frosting, ice cream, and yes, Twinkies. Cellulose is also an ingredient in steering wheels, photographic film and cellophane. Green, Green, Green The Green General Campaign, a two-year project is launching at the time of this year’s Earth Day. Its focus is on a carbon-free future based on renewable energy, creation of a green economy and individual commitment to responsible and sustainable consumption. The Original Tree Hugger Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), poet, writer and activist, is well known for his final writing, “Walden” in which he writes about living simply and respecting the earth. A play titled “Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau” is set during Thoreau’s final two days spent in his cabin at Walden Pond. It is a two act, four character play reflecting his conversation with Ralph Waldo Emerson. Producing the play is now a popular activity of school children around the U.S. and is televised on public TV, public radio and in theatres on Earth Day each year. Thoreau is thought to be the father of the environmental movement, but is also well known for marketing the invention of the pencil. Colorado Gardening Challenges Contrary to popular belief, the reason plant growth is so difficult in Colorado is not due to cooler temperatures, but rather more to a variety of factors such as fluctuating temperatures, heavy soils, low humidity and wind, wind, wind. A green thumb for Coloradoans is not all a lost cause. There are many plants and vegetables that do well in this climate. Some cool season vegetables include cauliflower broccoli, cabbage, potatoes and lettuce. If you are thinking that it’s too early right now in Colorado to be considering planting trees and plants, you may be right. But, there is some earth friendly planting that can be done in April if you can dig through the snow to do so: • The Colorado State tree – the Blue Spruce • Garden Spice Coral (Dianthus) – a hardy cousin to the carnation that has a very long growing period. • Darla Appleblossom (Diascia) – in the same family as the snapdragon and does well in cooler temperatures and the occasional light frost. • For a vegetable garden, some of the hardier seeds that can be planted directly in the garden area about two to four weeks before the last frost include spinach, lettuce, peas, broccoli, onions, carrots, radishes and cabbage. Experts suggest for a successful Colorado garden to start the seeding indoors, especially for those plants requiring a longer season such as tomatoes, celery and peppers. But wait…to plant cucumbers, summer squash, beans and corn until late May. A Little Green Trivia • Paper was once made from cotton and linen rags. • Railroad cars, phonographs, plates and bowls, iceboxes/refrigerators and house gutters used to be made from wood. • Bottle caps and life preservers used to be made from cork. • In the U.S. each person uses approximately 675 pounds of paper per year, or the equivalent of a 100-foot tall, 18-inch diameter tree. • Monument, Colorado Springs and Denver have a similar number of days in the growing season (frost-free days) at 150, 152 and 155 respectively. In contrast, Fraser has only nine frost-free days and Dillon has about 25. Grand Junction has the highest number at 183 with Pueblo coming in the next highest at 158 days. • Paper can be recycled approximately five to seven times. 
Issue 391 - 4/27/2009
SNIPPETZ TAKES YOU OUT TO THE BALLGAME by Deborah Stumpf 
"Don't tell me about the world. Not today. It's springtime and they're knocking baseballs around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball."
- Pete Hamill What could be more American than mom, apple pie and baseball? Baseball has long been considered a national pastime if not a national treasure. Part of the fascination may be that it can be played by anyone of just about any size and age, unlike basketball and football. There is some controversy surrounding the origins of baseball, but it is commonly thought to be a descendent of the British game called rounders as well as the game of cricket. However, there is some evidence that baseball began in America without the influences of those games. Records were discovered that indicated there was a bylaw written in 1791 in Pittsfield, Mass. which banned playing the game within 80 yards of the town meeting hall. The first formal team to play ball was the New York Knickerbockers in 1845. Alexander Cartwright wrote the first book of rules and is sometimes referred to as the father of modern baseball, although many writings about the game have been found that predate Cartwright’s rule book. Once Babe Ruth landed on the scene in the 1920’s, he and baseball hit a home run with the country. By the 1950’s, baseball had expanded beyond east coast teams to a nationwide presence. It’s all in a Name The trend for naming sports fields after corporate sponsors began in the 1970’s and has accelerated over the years due to the cost of building and maintaining ballparks. Unfortunately, sponsorship agreements expire, forcing the ballparks to secure new sponsors and, hence, new names. • There was San Francisco’s Candlestick Park which changed to 3Com Park, which changed to Monster Park and now back to Candlestick. The San Francisco Giants moved from there in 2000 to then named Pacific Bell Park, now AT&T Park. • The home of the Houston Astros opened in 2000 as The Ballpark at Union Station before becoming Enron Field. With the fall of Enron, the park quickly changed its name to Astros Field before Minute Maid purchased the naming rights in 2002. If You Build It, They Will Come Even in poor economic times, baseball thrives. Two teams in New York boast new fields in 2009. New York Yankees - At a cost of about $1.5 billion, the team opened the 2009 season with a new park built next door to the current Yankee Stadium. New York Mets – The Mets’ plans to convert a 2012 Olympic stadium into a new park fell through when London was awarded the Olympic Committee’s nod for the 2012 summer games. Citigroup stepped up to the plate with a promise to invest $20 million per year for a total of 20 years for the rights to name the stadium Citi Field. Stepping up to the (Dinner) Plate It’s not just peanuts, Cracker Jack and hotdogs at the park anymore. Gourmet is in! • San Francisco Candlestick Park proudly serves such fare as crab salad sandwiches, clam chowder and jerk chicken and rice. • Our own Coors Field in Denver serves up Rocky Mountain oysters and frozen margaritas. • Safeco Field in Seattle offers chicken teriyaki, Thai specialties, strawberries, Pacific salmon and Japanese delicacies such as tuna rolls. • Not surprisingly, Miller Park in Milwaukee serves bratwurst and a variety of beers from small brewers as well as Miller beers. • Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, delights with what else but Philly steak sandwiches, crab fries and a pork and provolone sandwich. Not the Only Song in Town “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is likely one of the most familiar tunes associated with baseball. However, there are many more baseball songs. Heard of any of these? • “Glory Days,” Bruce Springsteen • “Catfish,” Bob Dylan’s tune about Jim “Catfish” Hunter • “Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio,” Les Brown and His Orchestra • “Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song),” The Treniers, conducted by Quincy Jones with Willie Mays as a backup singer. • “Baseball Boogie,” Mabel Scott • “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?” sung by Natalie Cole • :Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry),” Bill Slayback • “A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request,” Steve Goodman Home Run Movies If you don’t want to fight the crowds to get your national pastime fix, try one of the more popular movies produced about the game: • Little Sunset (1915) the first known movie made about baseball • The Rookie (2002) • For Love of the Game (1999) • A League of Their Own (1993) • The Sandlot (1993) • Field of Dreams (1989) • Major League (1989) • Bull Durham (1988) • Eight Men Out (1988) • The Natural (1984) • The Bad News Bears (1976) Major League and Sandlot both had multiple sequels. The Best of the Best St. Louis will host the 2009 All Star Game, Anaheim will host the 2010 game and Chase Field in Phoenix will host the 2011 game. Strike…You’re Out There have been eight total major league baseball “strikes” or work stoppages in the history of the game, five of which were player strikes and three were owner lockouts. The eighth strike was the longest in history that took place during the 1994-1995 season. It lasted for 232 days with over 930 games cancelled as well as the postseason and World Series. There were millions of sad and angry fans that year. The 1904 World Series was the only other time a World Series was never played in major league baseball other than in the 1994 season. This was due to a business rivalry between the two leagues, particularly involving the New York Giants’ refusing to meet the Boston Americans for the national championship as they felt the Boston team and the American League to be inferior. In 1905, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Athletics in the second World Series. Scoring the Big Leagues What’s baseball if not for its stats, impressive records and interesting ‘snippetz’ of information? • The highest selling baseball card was a 1909 Honus Wagner sold on eBay for $1.265 million in 2000. Wagner Played for the Louisville Colonels, the Pittsburgh Pirates and managed the Pirates in 1917. • The Cy Young Award is an annual award given to the best pitcher in the major league. The first award was given in 1956 to Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers; the youngest player to win was Dwight Gooden in 1984; Mike Marshall was the first reliever to win in 1974. • Johnny Bench was the first catcher to receive the Rookie of the Year Award in 1968. • The longest home run recorded was 643 feet in 1960 by Mickey Mantle in Detroit Brigg’s Stadium. • Cy Young holds the record for most games won (511) and most games lost (316) in his career, as well as most innings pitched at 7,356. • The first father/son team to play together was Ken Griffey, Sr. and Ken Griffey, Jr. on the Seattle Mariners team. • Baseball’s first “Babe” was Babe Adams, a pitcher from 1906 to 1926. • Hank Aaron’s salary his first year in the major league was $5,000. He also hit the most home runs of any major leaguer at 755 for his career. • Hall of Famer Ted Williams was a Marine flight instructor during World War II and flew 39 combat missions in the Korean War. • A marriage proposal is conducted at Boston’s Fenway Park during every home game of each season. • Nolan Ryan played for four different teams and had the longest baseball career in history of 27 years from 1966 to 1993. • Doc Medich, Ranger’s pitcher attended medical school during the off seasons. He once saved the life of a fan having a heart attack. • The longest baseball game every played was 33 innings in 1981 between the Pawtucket Red Socks and the Rochester Red Wings. After 32 innings, the game was suspended at 4:09 a.m. and was resumed several weeks later. There were 19 people remaining in the stadium at the end of the 32 innings who each were given lifetime passes to McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI for their loyalty. • The longest 9-inning game was 4 hours and 45 minutes between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park in 2006. The Yankees won. 
Issue 392 - 5/4/2009
SNIPPETZ CELEBRATES NURSES WHO ARE BUILDING A HEALTHY AMERICA by Deborah Stumpf 
"After two days in the hospital, I took a turn for the nurse."
-W.C. Fields There have been various days and weeks designated as Nurses Day and Nurses Week since 1955, but it was in 1993 that National Nurses Week found a permanent home May 6 through May 12 of each year. The American Nurses Association determines an annual theme in honor of nurses and for this year it is Building a Healthy America. Within the celebration week, May 8 is designated as National Student Nurses Day and National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday during National Nurses Week. We’ve always known that nurses have a tough job that combines science with nurturing. They work in schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices and more. They are sometimes thought of as the common denominator in the healthcare system and the demand for nurses is growing each and every year. Nurses have been consistently ranked by Americans as first over other professions in their honesty and integrity. Doctor, Doctor…Uh, I Mean Nurse, Nurse A study completed in early 2000 reported that patient outcomes were equally as good when treated by a nurse practitioner as a physician. There are different levels of nursing with educational and licensing requirements that go along with them. • LPN (Licensed Practice Nurse) - completes a 12-14 month post high school course on basic nursing care and passes the NCLEX-PN licensing exam. (NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination.) • RN (Registered Nurse) – graduate of a state-approved school of nursing with either a four-year degree, a two-year degree or a three-year diploma program and passes the state NCLEX-RN state licensing exam. • APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) – a designation given to a registered nurse who has completed advanced educational requirements at a minimum of a master’s degree. With this level of education, these nurses can go into fields such as Nurse Practitioners who are able to diagnose and treat minor illnesses and injuries as well as prescribe medications; Certified Nurse Midwives who provide obstetrical and gynecological care to low-risk pregnant women; Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) who administer anesthesia; and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) who work in many clinical settings in both mental and physical health settings as well as research and education. Early Influences in the Profession National Nurses Week ends on May 12 of each year, the birthday of Florence Nightingale who was probably the most famous nurse in modern history. Born in Italy in 1820, Nightingale may have been best known for her travel to Turkey during the 1853 Crimean War when Russia invaded the country. She brought over 30 nurses with her to care for the wounded British soldiers. Nightingale also had quite a penchant for data and collected much detail regarding infections and diseases during this war. She also worked as an activist for increasing doctor and nurse training. The Army Medical College and the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses were opened due to her persistence in advancing education in the medical field. Another nurse who bloomed during war time was Clarrisa (Clara) Barton who worked tirelessly in helping the soldiers of the American Civil War. She was nicknamed the “Angel of the Battlefield” after she worked to bring supplies to surgeons and carried water and food to men while wounded and still on the battlefield. After the war she visited Europe for a much needed rest; however, while there she began working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Upon returning to American soil, she worked to found the American Red Cross in 1881 and became its first president. Despite the fact that she was 60 years old when the American Civil War began, Dorothea Dix was hired to head up the nursing effort for the northern medical facilities. Some of her life’s work prior to the war was in reforming insane asylums. Dix was known for her rigidity and expected hard work from her nurses. Her call to the nurse volunteers: "No woman under 30 need apply to serve in government hospitals. All nurses required to be plain-looking women. Their dresses must be brown or black, with no bows, no curls, no jewelry and no hoop skirts." Hotlips Houlihan need not apply. The 20th century brought Margaret Sanger to the forefront. As a women’s liberation activist she fought for birth control and founded the American Birth Control League, later becoming Planned Parenthood. Her work for women stretched worldwide. Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, was also a hardworking nurse during the Civil War. She worked for the north even though she was a southerner. The story is often told of her trip to a hospital to visit amputee soldiers who were in horrible pain and surrounded by intolerable odor. Other volunteers came and went, but the First Lady hung in to hold hands and wipe the brows of the suffering men. Walt Witman, American writer and poet, was also a volunteer nurse during the Civil War. He was influenced by his brother’s injury and other wounded soldiers to join the nursing ranks, working in more than 40 hospitals. His experiences during the war played a large part in his future writings, one of his most famous being the poem “Memoranda During the War.” A Few Strong Characters • Who could forget Major Margaret J. Houlihan, aka “Hotlips” Houlihan on the long running TV series M*A*S*H* set in the Korean War. Being the family publication that we are, we can’t go into details of her exploits, but suffice it to say that her nickname didn’t come from using botox. • Rachel Ames played nurse Audrey Hardy for 43 years in the soap operate ”General Hospital.” The Hardy character was a strong presence in the show, always caring and many times a victim herself. • Another strong nurse is Carla Espinoza of the hit TV series “Scrubs.” She’s known for her gossiping ways and doesn’t step away from confrontation, even with the doctors in charge. • Nurse Samantha Taggert plays a quiet, but strong single mother on the TV series “ER,” which ended its 15 years on the air this year. She’s had several boyfriends and a violent ex-husband who she conveniently killed in self-defense. Nursing Firsts • In 1879, Mary Eliza Mahoney became the first African-American registered nurse. • In 1955, Second Lieutenant Edward Lynn became the first male commissioned in the U.S. Army Nurse Corp. The USANC began in 1901. • The first school nurse was Lina Rogers Struthers who went to work serving four different schools in the Lower Manhattan area in 1902. • The first nursing diploma earned in the U.S. was in 1873 by Linda Richards. • The first school of nursing was established in 1862 as The New England Hospital for Women and Children. • The American Nurses Association was founded in 1898. • The first nurse in the New World is thought to be Juan de Mena, an early 17th century shipwreck survivor. • Florence Blanchfield became the first female regular commissioned officer in the U.S. Army in 1947. She became the superintendent of the Army Nurse Corp. A Little Nursing Humor • Why did the nurse keep the bedpan in the refrigerator? Because when she kept it in the freezer it took too much skin off. • What is the difference between a puppy and a surgeon? The puppy will grow up and stop whining. • Doctor: “Nurse, how is the little boy who swallowed those quarters doing?” Nurse: “No change yet.” Florence Nightingale Pledge "I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care." -Lystra E. Grettner, 1893 
Issue 393 - 5/11/2009
SNIPPETZ CROSSES OVER INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE by Gregory Stumpf "There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone." -Rod Sterling May 11 of every year marks Twilight Zone Day, a day with no relation to the show’s anniversary, but then, after all, we are talking about the twilight zone. Ready to exercise your imagination? How about a little time travel? Maybe explore another dimension? Then it’s time to enter into the Twilight Zone… In the Beginning Nearly 50 years ago on October 2, 1959, the above words were heard for the first time by narrator, writer and producer Rod Sterling on network television. It was an historical moment in television when the audience, generally accustomed to having the protagonist, antagonist and the storyline of a TV show laid out for them, were drawn into something new - an on-the-edge-of-your-seat, engaging thinking show. What will happen next? The first “Twilight Zone” episode, “Where is Everybody?” starred Earl Holliman. Holliman’s character found himself wandering in an abandoned town while struggling to find the answers about his identity and where he was. The episode was met with rave reviews by critics and although there was immediate acceptance by influential TV critics, Sterling had a rocky road ahead. All was not as easy as traveling through time and space; it was the search for a receptive audience of television viewers. After the first three episodes aired, CBS was hoping that the infant “Twilight Zone” would garner at least a rating of 20 or 21, but ranked only a dismal 16.3. As the first season chugged along, the show was able to attract enough audience to survive a brief hiatus in November, finally surpassing the competition on ABC and NBC. Now armed with an audience and truly unique story ideas, sponsors like General Foods and Kimberly-Clark stayed with the show until the end of the season. Let’s all jump on the Band Wagon When the current day show, “South Park,” became a sensation, many of the Hollywood ‘A Listers’ were and still are clamoring for a guest appearance either in voice, or as an animated character. Movie star Mel Gibson was excited to provide the voice of a barking dog in one such episode. This is not something new in TV land; in fact, throughout the “Twilight Zone” history there were many notable actors and actresses who gladly stepped in front of the camera to interpret Rod Sterling’s unusual twist on life and the human condition. Many were accomplished big screen celebrities, and a few had already won a prestigious Oscar, some of which are:
And then there were the up-and-comers, the newbies trying to spread their acting wings, so to speak, and gain valuable experience. Sterling gave many of the new kids on the block a chance, and he certainly had an eye for talent. Take a look at some of today’s stars who graced the small screen with starring or supporting roles in the “Twilight Zone.”
William Shatner, yes the infamous Captain Kirk himself; also of late starring in the successful “Boston Legal” series, portrayed an airline passenger in the 1963-1964 season episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” Recovering from a nervous breakdown, Shatner’s character sees a creature on the wing of the airplane he's on staring at him through the window while in flight. Although he tried to alert the crew and passengers of the situation, the creature was never seen by anyone else, causing him to doubt his own sanity. Shatner takes matters into his own hands by grabbing a .44 from an air marshal and shooting the creature. The 1983 “Twilight Zone” movie remade the episode. This time the disturbed passenger on the brink of insanity was played by John Lithgow of the TV series “3rd Rock from the Sun.” Special Effects As TV and movie special effects that we’ve become accustomed to were not yet developed in the late 50’s and early 60’s, Sterling often relied on themes based partly on reality with just enough fantasy to make them, as one of the show’s writers put it, “almost believable.” Time travel was a “Twilight Zone” staple, and Sterling used it frequently but always with a twist to keep each episode fresh and lacking sameness. In one such episode, the famed silent film era comedian, Buster Keyton, played a science lab janitor in the 1890’s and used a “special” helmet to travel to the future. Sterling Makes His Point The story lines were not just about the unusual, bizarre or unbelievable fantasy, they also dealt with many of society’s problems in a subtle way. During the show’s run, network executives refused to air shows that dealt with themes such as racism, hate, and in one case Sterling wrote a script about human euthanasia where a small town would send the elderly off for extermination. As a result, Sterling substituted, or shifted the story line slightly and integrated his unique style of science fiction to get his point across to the viewing public. In one of the most popular episodes, “The World of Darkness,” Maxine Stewart played a hideously ugly woman who is hidden by bandages throughout most of the episode. She undergoes numerous surgeries to transform her into a beautiful woman played by Donna Douglas, future actor in “Beverly Hillbillies.” The surprising result was that the ugly woman was really a beautiful woman surrounded by a society of hideously ugly people. Sterling previews this episode the week before by calling it “The eye of the beholder.” Rod Sterling’s widow, Carolyn Sterling, said in an interview, “If it was a Republican or Democrat [politician] they couldn't say it. I mean, he wanted to deal with the issues of the day. We're looking at bigotry, racism, prejudice, nuclear war, ethics, witch-hunts, loneliness. All of these things were verboten. He had said, ‘you know, you can put these words into the mouth of a Martian and get away with it,’” And, get away with it he did for five successful seasons. Still Out There Although the popular series originally only ran for five years from 1959 through 1964, it’s had a few revivals since: • 1983: “Twilight Zone: The Movie” • 1985-1989: first revival of the television series • 1994: “Rod Sterling’s Lost Classics” • 2002-2003: second revival of the television series The second revival of the series only lasted one season, but diehard fans are still out there in the ‘zone’ viewing and re-viewing seasons available through television and many internet sites. Some youth of today have an appreciation for the “Twilight Zone” series, black and white film notwithstanding. References to the series are found on You Tube and all over the internet. That’s a Wrap "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas; you've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone." -Rod Sterling’s opening during the final two seasons 
Issue 394 - 5/18/2009
SNIPPETZ GEARS UP DURING NATIONAL BIKE MONTH by Deborah Stumpf 
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
-Albert Einstein Among 50 states, Colorado is No. 13 in the League of American Bicyclists 2009 “Bicycle Friendly America” rankings. Washington is No. 1, and Alabama is trailing the pack at No. 50. Boulder is platinum among the LAB’s Colorado community listings. Fort Collins gets the gold and Colorado Springs came in with silver. Other Colorado communities on the list: Denver – bronze; Durango – silver; Lakewood – bronze; Arvada – bronze; Steamboat Springs – silver. The communities are judged on bike education, city planning, police enforcement of bicyclist rights and bike promotion. Speaking of promotion, May is National Bike Month. Bike to Work Week took place May 11 to May 15, with the 15th designated as Bike to Work Day. If you missed the ride last week; there’s still opportune time to get in gear, dust off the grid and “go til ya’ blow” on one of Colorado’s bike-friendly trails. Roadie slang aside, bicycling is a great way to get in shape, stay in shape and reach peak shape. Whether you’re noodling (riding easy) or cavemanning (riding hard), you’re burning calories and building strength. Depending on body weight, bicyclists burn between 400 and 500 calories in one hour. Riding at a moderate speed burns about 235 calories per half hour. The majority of Americans ride for recreation and health purposes. Only a small percent – about 5 percent (2003 poll) – commute to work via their bikes. Although bicycling is today a favorite pastime, the bicycle came about as a tool for transportation. A bit of bicycle history According to About.com (online subsidiary of the New York Times), Leonardo DaVinci sketched a “facsimile of the modern bicycle” in 1490, but it never went anywhere. Centuries later, a Frenchman crafted what he called a “celerifere,” which had two in-line wheels connected by a beam. The rider straddled the beam and pushed the celerifere with his feet. A German added steering to the “scooter” in 1817, which prompted various versions of the bicycle during the early 1800s in France and England. The “bicycle” replaced the horse in popularity but the roads at the time were not conducive to riding wheeled transport. Only a horse could get through those deep ruts of the roads. In 1839, the Scottish came up with a treadle and rod for the rear-drive. In 1845, R.W. Thompson patented a pneumatic tube to replace the metal wheels. Later, two French brothers – Ernest and Pierre Michaux – added cranks and pedals, and called their new “wheels” the velocipede. British engineers picked up the design and added ball bearings, Dunlop tires, wire-spoked wheels, a chain drive, gears and cable controls. Over the next 20 years, the Brits evolved their engineering to come up with the present-day bicycle form. Taking the bicycle to higher places – the marathon The “cavemen (and women)” of bicycling have brought the sport way beyond simple recreation or transportation. Bicycling is one leg of a triathlon but it’s also a race in and of itself. Inarguably, the most well known of all bicycle marathons is the Tour de France. The ride across France is made up of 21 stages and covers 3,500 kilometers or 2,235 miles. The ride begins July 4 and ends July 29, with only two rest days for the riders. In the U.S., the biggest hammerhead (the bicyclist who refuses to ride easy) is Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France. Armstrong is a cancer survivor as well and runs a foundation promoting cancer awareness and healthy lifestyles. A bit of Lance trivia: He was born Sept. 18, 1971, as Lance Edward Gunderson. Bicycle marathons are held coast to coast. From May 7 to May 10, Fort Collins hosted almost 500 student athletes from more than 60 universities for the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. Eighteen national titles and three individual titles in three cycling categories were at stake. Mountain biking has its own marathons. For those who like to charge through the hills, Colorado has its share of mountain bike marathons from Fruita, Colo., to Vail. Bicycling and beer, anyone? Existing with Colorado’s bicycle-friendly communities are its bicycle-friendly businesses. The League of American Bicyclists came out with its 2009 Bicycle Friendly Business list in March. For the first time ever, two companies received a platinum award: the Bike Gallery of Portland, Ore., and the New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins. There’s nothing like a cold beer when you’re knackered (tired) after a “hammerfest” (a hard ride, of course). Considering that the New Belgium Brewing Co. was founded during a bike ride through Belgium, the platinum award seems to be a no-brainer. In a press release from the LAB, Bryan Simpson, spokesman for the Fort Collins brew company, said, “Bicycling is part of our DNA.” Other bicycle friendly businesses in Colorado: electronics manufacturer CatEye North American, Boulder – gold; retailer ProCycling, Colorado Springs – honorable mention. The winners provide bicycle friendly amenities like bike parking, shower facilities, incentives to commute on bikes, company bike rides and bike clubs and Bike to Work Week promotions. The benefit to the businesses: productive and healthy employees and reduced health care costs. More “snippetz” of roadie slang
http://kba.tripod.com/slang.htm Still, it’s the best ride Besides health, one’s financial picture and the environment benefit from those who choose the bicycle as their No. 1 mode of transportation. Think of the gas savings! Lance Armstrong summed it up when he said, “This is not Disneyland, or Hollywood. I'll give you an example: I've read that I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don't fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else.” Not unlike life. Gear up and ride! Bicycles and Helmets...or Let’s Be Safe Out There What’s not to appreciate when someone says, “When I was a kid, we didn’t have bicycle helmets; we took our cuts and scrapes as just part of the play.” Except that today, there are more cars, more people riding and many more hammerheads or Xtreme sports enthusiasts. The brain bucket – bicycle lingo for the helmet – is touted by many groups such as the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute and the National Highway Traffic Administration. They offer plenty of statistics to promote their pro-helmet stance. From the BHSI • There are 73 to 85 million bicycle riders in the U.S. • Close to 700 bicyclists died on U.S. roads in 2007 and more than 90 percent collided with motor vehicles. Two-thirds of the deaths were caused by traumatic brain injury. • The "typical" bicyclist killed on the roads is a sober male over age 16 who is not wearing a helmet. He’s riding on a major road between intersections in an urban area on a summer evening when he’s hit by a car. • About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries and 27,000 are hospitalized. • Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority is not serious enough for emergency room visits; 43,000 cyclists were reported injured in traffic crashes in 2007. • One in eight of the cyclists with reported injuries had a brain injury. • A high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 percent. • Direct costs of cyclists' injuries related to not using a helmet are estimated at $81 million each year, rising with health care costs. • Indirect costs of cyclists' injuries because of no helmet are estimated at $2.3 billion each year. 
Issue 395 - 5/25/2009
SNIPPETZ THINKS EVEN NERDS SHOULD TAKE PRIDE! by Deborah Stumpf 
"Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."
- Bill Gates Nerds stand up and be counted! May 25 is Nerd and Geek Pride Day. Once upon a time being referred to as a geek or nerd was considered an insult. But now things have changed. Not only do we respect nerds and geeks, but we have a day to celebrate them! Nerd Pride Day was developed very recently in 2006 in Spain and has quickly crossed the ocean to the United States where we are finally recognizing what the nerds of the world have given us. Ever heard of Bill Gates? What’s in a Word? There may be subtle differences in the original definitions of the terms nerd and geek, but nowadays they tend to be used interchangeably. Nerd is defined as a person who pursues interests of an intellectual nature rather than social or more popular pastimes. The word ‘nerd’ is considered a derogatory term even though it is usually used to describe a person with above average IQ. The word ‘geek’ is actually an English word meaning freak or fool and was also used in Low German and Middle Low German; the Dutch “gek” is a current term meaning crazy. Someone called a geek is thought of as being odd and obsessed with intellectual pursuits similar to that of the nerd. Nerds and Geeks Have a History, Too The word ‘nerd’ appeared initially in a 1950 Dr. Seuss book, “If I Ran the Zoo,” wherein he writes, “And then, just to show them, I’ll sail to Ka-Troo and Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo A Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!” In this case, the nerd was a small human-like creature who looked angry. Geek is more thought of as originally showing up in the circus or carnival. Geek shows often included performers who would bite heads off of critters and animals such as snakes, bugs, chickens, etc. However, the definition of geek has changed a great deal over the years and has now become much more synonymous with nerd as in someone who is not part of the mainstream. Other common terms might be dweeb or dork. Stereotypical Qualities Nerds and geeks have certain qualities in common and those who try to become or imitate one are merely imposters. One cannot be a nerd or geek just by proclaiming it is so. Nerds have distinct qualities… • Deficient in social skills • Accelerated proficiency in intellectual pursuits such as electronics, computers, engineering, mathematics, science, etc. • Usually above average IQ, but little physical strength And stereotypical fashion sense… • Thick-framed glasses (with or without masking tape holding the frame together) • High-water jeans • Preppy patterned shirts (with or without pocket protectors) Nerds We Couldn’t Do as Well Without Nerds have given us a wealth of new technology. In some instances, it’s almost a love-hate relationship. Admit it – don’t you want to throw your computer out the window sometimes? • Albert Einstein gave us the theory of relativity, the quantum theory of atomic motion, theory of gravitation and became a Nobel Prize winner, to name a few of his accomplishments and contributions. • Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft Corporation, attended but never graduated from Harvard College where he worked as a congressional page. Gates and his business partner Paul Allen revolutionized the computer industry by making computers accessible to every person in their home and business. Gates is a self-proclaimed nerd who may be laughing all the way to the bank considering he is worth billions of dollars. Microsoft cofounder Allen is worth about half as much as Gates, at over $20 billion. To his credit, Gates and wife Melinda started the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, giving away about 30 billion dollars in the last 10 or so years to global causes in the area of education and health. • Also major contributors to the computer biz were Apple Computers cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It was the late 1970’s when the Apple computer came onto the scene as a rival to the PC and the Gates-Allen Microsoft software package. Jobs went on to acquire the computer graphics division of Lucasfilms, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar was eventually purchased by Disney and Jobs continues to be a major shareholder and member of the board. Wozniak crashed his own airplane in 1981 and when he eventually returned to Apple after attending UC Berkeley, he worked as an engineer in the product development division. Wozniak also wrote his autobiography and the millionaire had time to compete on the 2009 season of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” • Tom Anderson is the cofounder of MySpace. Ask any teenager if they think life would be worthwhile with it. Musical Nerds • Art Garfunkel of the famous duo Simon and Garfunkel has a master’s degree in math as well as a B.A. in art history from Columbia University. • Huey Lewis of the group Huey Lewis and the News was an engineering major at Cornell University before he dropped out in his junior year to pursue his music career. • Neil Diamond dropped out of the pre-med program at NYU, eventually receiving an honorary doctorate from the university in 2003. • Rock singer Elvis Costello was a computer geek prior to his musical career. • Jim Morrison of The Doors attended Florida State and UCLA to study film. • Mick Jagger studied accounting and finance at the London School of Economics before he dropped out to start his little garage band…hmmm, what was that? Oh yes, the Rolling Stones! • Alicia Keys was a Valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School. She was offered a scholarship to Columbia, but turned it down to seek a career in music. It’s not just nerds becoming musicians, but now there is the music genre called Nerdcore hip hop that is becoming more popular with musicians such as MC Plus+, MC Chris and McFrontalot. There seems to be a McTrend here. Famous Movie and TV Nerds • Jerry Lewis was famous for his bit as Julius Kelp in the 1963 “The Nutty Professor.” • Jaleel White played nerd Steve Urkel, pocket protector and all, on “Family Matters,” the nine-year running sitcom which is still in syndication. • Many nerds were portrayed in the 1984 film “Revenge of the Nerds,” including Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine. • Ron Howard, Hollywood producer and director, made nerd history on the hit sitcom set in the 1950’s, “Happy Days” with his character Richie Cunningham. He continues to look the part to this day. • The character Kramer on the sitcom “Seinfeld” was the personification of nerd with his thick glasses, wild hairdo and mismatched clothing. Honorable Nerdy Mention • Wonka’s Sour Nerds candy is proclaimed to be Nerd's for nerds. • The reality TV show “Beauty and the Geek” ran for five seasons ending in 2008 in which the ‘storyline’ involved geeks who attempt to impart some academic knowledge upon the beautiful people while the beauties try to teach the geeks fashion sense and social skills. • Website BoardGameGeek offers an outlet for self-proclaimed geeky board game lovers. • David Cook, winner of the “American Idol” contest, admitted to being a “word nerd” to the world. • The term “nerdcore” is now being used to refer to webcomics as well as music. • We can’t forget all those computer and technical support businesses called Geek Squad, Dial-a-Geek and Geeks on Call who are capitalizing on the technically superior reputation of the geeks and nerds. 
Issue 396 - 6/1/2009
SNIPPETZ IS TALKING SOME TRASH by Deborah Stumpf 
"Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours."
-Dennis Hayes Being green, living green, building green and even dressing green – folks everywhere are jumping on the green bandwagon. And why not? Most of us can admit to that feeling of disgust when we drive down the streets and highways and view trash lying alongside the road; or while vacationing on the beach catching not waves, but trash that lines the coastal shores. The nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful estimates that Americans alone produce 251.3 million tons of garbage each year, making us the No. 1 trash producer in the world. Each individual produces about nearly 4.5 pounds of waste per day. It’s got to go somewhere! Consider The Savings Rumor has it that recycling costs more than it’s worth. In reality, it costs about $30 per ton to recycle trash versus $50 per ton to get it to the landfill and $65 to $75 to incinerate it. • Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity — enough energy to power the average American home for five months. • Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water and requires about 60 percent of the energy used to make paper from virgin wood pulp. • Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for three hours and a TV for two hours, according to the EPA. • Recycling aluminum saves 95 percent of the energy used to make the material from scratch. That means you can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one can out of new material. Energy savings in 1993 alone were enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years. • Energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. Compared to producing a new bottle from raw materials, recycling produces 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution. The mining and transportation involved in producing glass from raw materials produces about 385 pounds of waste for every ton of glass produced. That waste is reduced by more than 80 percent when using recycled glass. Everybody Is Doing It • More than half of Duracell’s international headquarters was built using its own waste materials from the manufacture of batteries. It included ceiling tiles from newspapers, roofing from aluminum and flooring from broken light bulbs and other crushed glass. • Cereal manufacturers such as Kellogg’s uses 100 percent recycled paper for their boxes. Some even sell cereal in bags for a cost savings of between 35 and 40 percent over the price of the same cereal purchased in boxes. • Disney parks stepped up their recycling efforts beginning in the 1990’s that has included recycling bins strategically placed throughout their facilities. • The folks in Bristol, England host a Waste Not Festival each year to raise recycling awareness. Neighborhoods work together for recycling with some slogans such as “Before you bin it, think what’s in it.” Some have made mosaic walkways out of broken tiles and crockery, as well as installed picnic tables and benches at local parks made from recycled plastics. • Ben & Jerry’s ice cream boasts the use of ice cream containers made out of unbleached paper in order to help reduce the production of the toxic chemical dioxin that comes from bleaching paper products. Plastic – Good News, Bad News The bad news: • Ninety percent of all debris floating in the ocean is plastic. • Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour and most of them are thrown away. • Every year, we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap Texas! • Every year, Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups – enough to circle the earth 436 times every year, and Styrofoam is NOT recyclable. The good news: • Plastic can be recycled into many great products such as “lumber” for park benches, public trash receptacles, picnic tables, parking bumpers, plastic grocery bags and more. • 26 recycled PET (a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family used in synthetic fibers) bottles equals a polyester suit; 5 recycled PET bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket. • If every American household recycled just one out of every 10 HDPE bottles they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills every year. Shuffling Paper Even with computers and efforts made toward becoming a paperless society, we still use about 85 million tons of paper per year or some 680 pounds per person. The good news is that more than 56 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. in 2007 was taken in for recycling. • Recycled paper can be made into paper towels, notebook paper, envelopes, copy paper and other paper products, as well as boxes, hydro-mulch, molded packaging, compost and even kitty litter. • We would save about 250 million trees each year if all of our newspapers were recycled. • We could heat 50 million homes for 20 years with the wood and paper that is thrown away each year. • It costs 50 to 80 percent less to build a paper mill that uses waste paper than a mill that uses new pulp. Glass Glass never wears out. It can be recycled forever. We save over a ton of resources for every ton of glass recycled: 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone and 151 pounds of feldspar. • Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every two weeks to fill the 1,350-foot towers of the former World Trade Center. • Most bottles and jars contain at least 25 percent recycled glass. • Recycled glass can also be used to make products such as counter tops and flooring. Popping the Top…And…Don’t Throw That Old Lawn Furniture Away! Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans every day and throw away enough aluminum every month to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. One tossed aluminum can wastes as much energy as filling the same can half full of gasoline and pouring it into the ground. • In as little as 60 days a used aluminum can is able to go through the recycling process and land back on the grocery shelf. One can conceivably purchase the same can filled with various different beverages multiple times per year. • If that aluminum can is thrown away, it will still be a can in a landfill for the next 500 or more years, but there is no limit to the number of times it can be recycled. • Tin cans used for food items such as soup and canned tomatoes are made of 99 percent steel. Every year, Americans throw away enough steel to build all the new cars that are made in this country. • Although aluminum cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., gutters, car parts, storm window frames, lawn furniture and building siding can also be recycled. • Even aluminum shavings can be recycled, although it’s a bit more difficult and takes some creativity. Some counter tops are now made from these shavings that are good looking, interesting and you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood with these as a conversation piece. More Out There • During World War II, two war ships were built out of recycled metal straps from corsets. • Old tires are some of the most difficult things to recycle, but some are reworking these rubber rounds into chair seats. • Slats from old whiskey barrels are also used to create furniture. However, we wonder if one smells like a bottle of Jim Beam after sitting in one of these. • Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped in aluminum – about 80 million each day – enough to cover about 40 football fields. These little wrappers are recyclable, which is another good reason to eat more chocolate. Well, somebody’s got to do it. • Motor oil can be recycled and refined since it never wears out. A quart of the substance can contaminate about two million gallons of fresh water if it is not recycled or disposed of properly. For more information about recycling in our area, contact El Paso County on their web-site at www.elpasoco.com or at 719-520-7878. On the EPC web-site you can obtain a comprehensive “El Paso County Recycling Directory” for information on where to recycle everything from appliances and asbestos to tires, TV’s and yard waste. 
Issue 397 - 6/8/2009
SNIPPETZ JOINS SUPERMAN AND OTHER HEROES TO RID THE WORLD OF EVIL FORCES! by Deborah Stumpf 
Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look up in the sky; it’s a bird; it’s a plane, it’s SUPERMAN.
Dedicated fans worldwide will gather this week in Metropolis, Ill., to celebrate their super hero, Superman, aka Clark Kent. The 31st annual Superman Celebration will take place June 11 through June 14 in the city that lays claims to being the official home of Superman. Super festivities will take place amidst a permanent bronze statue of Superman and a Super Museum located on the town’s Superman Square. Visitors can take in other Superman attractions throughout the city, such as a giant rock of Kryptonite. Man of Steel exhibitions, an “artists’ alley,” contests, comic book writing sessions, live music and a $1,000 Superhero costume contest are just a few of the events on the super agenda. A Red Carpet Celebration A variety of actors who portray comic book characters, including actors from “Smallsville,” are scheduled for appearances. One of the guests, Noel Neill, first played Lois Lane in the 1948 movie, “Superman.” But she’s best known for playing Lois Lane, from 1953 to 1957, alongside Superman George Reeves in the television series “The Adventures of Superman.” Neill will host a tribute to Reeves the evening of June 12, and she will soon join her character husband as a permanent fixture on the streets of Metropolis when the Chamber of Commerce adds the finishing touches to a sculpture in Neill’s likeness. In 2008, the celebration broke the Guinness Book of World Records with the most number of people dressed as Superman. Top 10 Super Duper Heroes Super frenzy, super cool or super freaky, Snippetz joins in the celebration with a list of the top-10 superheroes of all time. According to About.com – the online subsidiary of the New York Times – Superman leads the pack at No. 1. The Original Flying Hero The Superman legend began in 1938, when the baby Superman – Kal-El – traveled to Earth to escape the doomed planet Krypton. His Kryptonite father sent him to Earth in a rocket ship, which just happened to land in Kansas, where a young couple found the ship and adopted little Kal-El. His mortal being was known as Clark Kent from Smallsville, Kan. Kent attended Metropolis University and became a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet in the city of Metropolis. Clark Kent could change into his red cape and tights and take on the role of Superman in a matter of seconds, but no one at the Planet knew about his extraterrestrial abilities or his identity as Superman. Until Lois Lane. Lane worked as a reporter at the Daily Planet as well, and she and Jimmy Olson, a photographer and “gopher” at the Daily Planet, became friends with Clark Kent. Eventually, Kent married Lane, and she soon learned about his duo identities. Throughout the years, the adventures of the “Man of Steele” evolved, as did his super powers. As a young adult, Superman could lift cars and run and jump beyond any mortal. In the next few years, Superman’s abilities took flight. With telescopic vision that allowed him to shoot laser-like beams and the capacity to fly over tall buildings, he became a renowned hero, battling the forces of evil. Over decades, Superman has been reincarnated – his immortal presence forever set in history, modern times and the future. And it can safely be said that Superman paved the way for the other top-10 comic-book heroes and heroines. Eeeew – It’s Sticky! As a young lad, Peter Parker took on spider-like qualities after he was bitten by one. From an insecure, shy teenager to a super hero, Spider Man has captured teenage audiences because many fans can relate to Peter. He’s also captured the No. 2 favorite spot. The spider-like super human came on the scene in 1962. With his uncanny senses, agility and ability to cling to surfaces, Spider Man has become a worthy foe of the bad guys. Adding to his might are web-slingers – streams of sticky webbing that allow Spider Man to swing from building to building. He also has stingers that shoot major energy blasts to his opponents, causing them to stop dead in their tracks. Peter or Spider Man grew up with his aunt and uncle. Naïve to his nephew’s real powers, his uncle once told Peter: “With great power comes great responsibility. All it took was one spider bite to create this hero. Marvel Comics considers Spider Man its No. 1 comic book hero. Not Just Brawn, But Brains Too Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, is a millionaire with a penchant to avenge his parents’ death. Coming in as the No. 3 favorite, he may not have the super-strength powers of Superman and Spider Man, but he has a super brain and a super computer and has been touted as a brilliant detective. Inspired by a bat, he designed a costume to emulate the creature and wore it in disguise as he set out to rid Gotham City of crime. Howling With The Wolves Nature’s most daunting insects and animals are patterned as heroes in the imaginary world. The comic book hero Wolverine is rated the No. 4 hero. He ended up living with wolves – as James Logan – years after his father was killed and his mother committed suicide. He’s been mentored by such heroes as The Incredible Hulk and Charles Xavier, former leader of the X-Men. Wolverine now leads the X-Men, mentoring and leading another generation. Wolverine has done wonders for Hugh Jack’s career. Incredibly Green Speaking of the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner (mortal name) takes the No. 5 spot. The green he-man has brawn, brain and speed. He’s resilient and unstoppable. His powers were unleashed when he was exposed to a “bomb” as a military scientist. The Hulk has various personas, from the intellect of Bruce Banner to the rage of a savage beast. The Hulk has had to work hard to conquer his “bad” sides in favor of focusing on fighting corruption. Power To The Women The first comic book heroine may have been one of the first feminists. Wonder Woman first debuted in 1941, long before Gloria Steinem took on the case for female equality. Wonder Woman is a member of the female tribe of Amazons – her mission: “Bring the Amazon tribe’s ideals of love, peace and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men.” Enough said. Wonder Woman is No. 6 in the comic book line up. The Final Four The last four “heroes” are not as formidable in circles other than comic-book-hero junkies, but their feats are notable. The Green Lantern, coming in at No. 7, is the name of several super heroes, and each one possesses a “power ring” that gives him control over the physical world. America needs a Captain America – one who is strong and hard working, ethical and honest. Captain America is No. 8 on the list, but the trustworthy hero should be the No. 1 character on Wall Street. Spawn the fictional character was actually spawned from hell. At No. 9, he and the Punisher, at No. 10, are known to have much darker sides – sort of the anti-heroes. 
Issue 398 - 6/15/2009
SNIPPETZ SALUTES DADS by Deborah Stumpf 
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.”
–Mark Twain Father’s Day is just around the corner and the time is ripe to explore the topic further. Just what IS a father? How has the role of being a father morphed over the years? And when did we start celebrating Father’s Day, anyway? Why are fathers called “fathers”? There are many different types of fathers – or people and events we call father - founding fathers, forefathers, father time, stepfather, grandfather, father of our country and Father Christmas, to name a few. ACCORDING TO WEBSTER The word father comes from before the 12th century and is extrapolated from Old English “fader,” as well as German “Fater” and Latin “Pater.” It literally means a man who has begotten a child or sired a child; God or the first person of the Trinity, and can be used as a term of respect, often indicating reverence for another man’s experiences and knowledge. Paradoxically, “my old man” is used irreverently but only in English. CAVEMAN TO PRESENT DAY It would be hard to dispute that over time the role of fathers, like that of mothers, has become more complicated. Gone are the days of the hunters and gatherers whose major fathering activity involved teaching their coming of age sons how to provide for the family. Now fathers ‘bring home the bacon,’ and work alongside mothers ‘frying it up in the pan,’ as the song goes. Many dads can now be seen changing diapers, feeding and bathing the kids, attending games or school functions, reading bedtime stories and providing more daily care overall. A DAY FOR GOOD 'OL DAD Father’s Day was not created, as frequently thought, by Hallmark. It began in the early 1900’s when it was introduced by Sonora Smart Dodd who wanted to honor her father with an official day of celebration. William Jackson Smart was a Civil War hero and raised his children after his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Sonora, being the eldest of the six, helped her father raise her siblings and thought very highly of her father and his accomplishments. She felt that fathers needed to be recognized as well as mothers. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Wash. It took many years to make Father’s Day an official holiday. Mother’s Day was supported by most of the populace, whereas Father’s Day was seen by many to be an attempt to clutter up the calendar with holidays, along with such ideas as Secretaries Day, Grandparent’s Day and Groundhog Day. It was not until 1966 that Father’s Day became a federal holiday when President Lyndon Johnson issued a presidential proclamation. It was first supported by Calvin Coolidge in 1924, but was subjected to so much ridicule that it was considered an unpopular idea and was not pursued. International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19th in many countries as an alternative to Father’s Day. DADS SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE Many child development experts believe the influence of a father on his children is most critical from the ages of six to 14. Former President George W. Bush agrees. He wrote, “By providing their sons and daughters with a positive example, fathers help give their children the necessary foundation they need to make wise decisions throughout their lives."
TV DADS... AS ROLE MODELS?
FATHER TIME Father time is a common image used to depict the passing of time. His image is usually depicted as an older man similar to the Grim Reaper or Cronos, the Greek god of time, holding an hourglass and a scythe. A scythe is an old agricultural tool that was used to cut grasses but is sometimes depicted as a weapon as in when it is held by the Grim Reaper. FOUNDING FATHERS The founding fathers of the United States are considered to be the political leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence, or participated in some way in the American Revolution, or drafted the U.S. Constitution. Nonetheless, George Washington was a significant figure thought of as a founding father, as well as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin.
IF NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, WHAT OR WHOM IS THE FATHER? Some say the true father of invention was Ben Franklin who invented a little thing called electricity, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses, the odometer, a flexible urinary catheter and another famous contribution called the U.S. Constitution. In many cases, credit for fathering goes to more than one person; that is, credit for fathering a principle, field of study or an invention.
CELEBRATE WITH A DAD MOVIE There are numerous “dad” movies out there to enjoy watching with or without dad:
DAD'S WORDS OF WISDOM Heard any of these?
AND A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR MOMS: • “Just wait until your father gets home.” 
Issue 399 - 6/22/2009
SNIPPETZ TURNS UP THE VOLUME ON OLD-TIME RADIO by Deborah Stumpf 
"Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-Arthur C. Clarke No more rabbit ears, as America transitioned from analogue to digital television signals in June. To a younger generation, “rabbit ears” means, well, rabbit ears. But to most of the baby boomers and their parents, rabbit ears – or antennas – were at one time the only means to a clear picture on the television. And some of those baby boomers and almost all of the Great Depression era generation remember when television was either a concept or a luxury and radio was the only electronic medium for mass communication. Old-Time Radio Not Forgotten The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was formed in 1919. But formal broadcasting – according to www.old-time.com – began Nov. 2, 1920, when “Westinghouse's KDKA-Pittsburgh broadcast the Harding-Cox election returns and inaugurated a daily schedule of programs.” The programming was referred to as amateur radio, and 1 million American households were equipped with radios. Commercial radio was established between 1923 and 1926. • In September 1923, about 2 million or 8 percent of American households had radios. • Three years later in 1926, the number increased to a little over 5 million – 20 percent of all households had radios. • From 1926 to 1930, 40 percent of the population owned radios. In the 1930s, despite the Great Depression, the radio industry boomed and broadcast radio revenues soared. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, U.S. electronic interests were focused on supplies at the onset of World War II. Broadcasting equipment was in short supply during the war years, and many radio employees had gone off to war. Regardless, radio revenues in 1942 were 70 percent above the level of revenues in 1940 and 1941. American radio enjoyed its greatest success between 1941 and 1945. In 1945, about 34,000 U.S. households had radios. Then, “technology” changed. Between 1945 and 1952, television was making its way into living rooms across America. In 1952, the television became the sought-after medium for electronic communication. Fifty percent of Americans owned television sets in 1952. A year later, the color television was introduced. And then cable came into play – for both radio and television – and the rest, one might say “is history.” Putting The Years In Perspective A few “snippetz” about how the country looked during the radio years: 1930s • U.S. Population – 123,188,000 in 48 states • Life expectancy – male, 58.1; female, 61.6 • Average salary - $1,368 • Milk was 14 cents a quart; round steak: 42 cents a pound. 1940s • U.S. population – 132,122,000 • National debt - $43 billion • Average salary - $1,299 (teacher’s salary - $1,441) • Just 55 percent of homes had indoor plumbing • Life expectancy – 68.2 for females and 60.8 for males • The Supreme Court gave African-Americans the right to vote. • The U.S. and Russia became super powers. • The Cold War began. 1950s • U.S. population – 151,684,000 • Life expectancy – women 71.1, men 65.6 • Average salary - $2,992 • Labor force male to female – 5 to 2 • A loaf of bread cost 14 cents. • Bomb shelter plans were widely available. The old time radio shows Imagine the world today if radio was the only household source for news, entertainment and sports. That’s the way it was in the 1940s. And the variety of shows was not quite as eclectic as today, but radio offered everything from soap operas to sports. Arthur Godfrey began his radio career in 1930. He was known for pushing products on his radio show that he had actually tried and regularly used. Godfrey often set aside prepared scripts from advertisers in favor of his own. From the Museum of Broadcast Communications, this is one of his original radio promos: "Aw, who wrote this stuff? Everybody knows Lipton is the best tea you can buy. So why get fancy about it? Getcha some Lipton's, heat the pot with plain hot water for a few minutes, then put fresh hot water on the tea and let it just sit there." As many others, Godfrey transitioned to television in 1948, with “Arthur Godfrey and the Talent Scouts.” Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Abbot and Costello and Jack Benny joined Godfrey as some of television’s top entertainers who began their careers in radio. Some famous radio celebrities came from the sports arena. Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio were just two American icons who kept baseball fans glued to their radios – long, long before ESPN! Mysteries A Radio Hit The Web site, www.OTRcat.com, provides summaries and downloads of old-time radio shows. Modern-day mysteries or cop shows like “CSI” probably wouldn’t be as effective on radio, given all of the visuals needed to create the drama. But radio mysteries captivated audiences nationwide in the golden years of radio. • “The Shadow” debuted in August 1930 and became one of the most popular radio shows in history. “Who knows what lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.” That line opened every show. Fighting crimes, the Shadow could “defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code and become invisible,” according to www.mysterynet.com. The Red Menace was one of his major foes. • Another favorite radio mystery show, “The Whistler,” ran from 1942 to 1955. Bill Forman hosted the show for most of its run, and Dorothy Roberts whistled the theme; thus, the whistler. The crime drama was known for its macabre stories. Comedy – Like Today – Controversial At Times Comedy aired on old-time radio and was long running as well. Some old time radio experts call “Amos and Andy” one of the most popular shows in the 20th century. The show existed from 1928 to 1959. Amos and Andy were black characters played by white “characters” Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. The two men wrote the shows and it was reported that they finished them right before they aired. They never looked at each other during the show and never rehearsed. The show, born out of Chicago, grew record audiences nationally. Eventually, “Amos and Andy” lost its punch, for obvious reasons. Although popular among all races and nationalities, things began changing in the 1950s, after WWII, and the characters became obsolete. World War II’s Tokyo Rose During World War II, many Americans kept their spirits (or their guard) up through radio shows like “Winston Churchill” and “Tokyo Rose.” • It was often thought that Winston Churchill did not actually deliver his speeches on the radio, as promoted. Norman Shelley, who played Watson on the “Sherlock Holmes” radio program, was rumored to have been one of the Churchill radio imposters. He allegedly took out his false teeth to imitate Churchill’s voice. However, regardless of the messenger, Churchill’s message supposedly boosted the morale of Americans. • American soldiers coined the name Tokyo Rose for a group of Japanese women broadcasting on Japanese radio. The Japanese-sponsored shows were supposed to weaken the American spirit, but the soldiers enjoyed listening to “Tokyo Rose.” Iva Togure D’Aquino, an American-born Tokyo Rose (aka Orphan Ann), had been visiting her aunt in Japan at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. She sought out the radio gig to earn money when she couldn’t return to the U.S. Some veterans might remember this: “Hello boys. This is the voice you love to hate.” Orphan Ann actually believed she was doing the boys a favor; however, the U.S. government didn’t see it that way. After she confessed to her Tokyo Rose stint, D’Aquino was sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason. She was released after six years, and President Gerald Ford pardoned her in the 1970s. The Good Ole’ West Some of the most popular television characters in the 1950s and 1960s were cowboys and cowgirls: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Gene Autry and Wyatt Earp – all started in radio. Many other future television heroes of the West also blasted off with radio – like Matt Dillon. OTR.com refers to “Gunsmoke” as “perhaps the greatest radio drama of all,” definitely the best western radio drama. Matt Dillon, U.S. marshal, was the “first man they look for, and the last they want to meet.” Matt and his sidekicks Chester, Doc and Kitty came together on radio and screen as a big, happy family, and Americans embraced them as if they were their own family. William Conrad, who some might remember from the TV series “Cannon,” portrayed Matt Dillon on radio and became a symbolic voice for the man who ruled Dodge City. When “Gunsmoke” transitioned to television, producers didn’t even consider Conrad for the part – he was too short and heavy set. And now Today, radio has entered the digital world. Internet radio programs are growing. Web site podcasts, iPods, MP3 players have created a new niche for radio. According to an April report by Arbitron and Edison Research, 42 million Americans listen to radio through digital platforms every week. Seventeen percent of Americans age 12 and older listen to online radio stations. William Conrad, Red Skelton and Arthur Godfrey are probably rolling over in their graves at the very idea of Internet radio. Only the Shadow knows! The Cost of Radio • The average radio set cost about $125 in 1926; loud speakers were extra, from $50 to $100. • During the Great Depression, the cost of radio sets started dropping. In 1929, the radio cost $120; in 1930, $80 and in 1934 and 1935, $40. • In 1954, the first mass market transistor "pocket" radio was introduced, selling at $49.95. • In 1957, FM radio accounted for just 2 percent of radio sales; the percentage increased to 15 to 20 percent by 1965. |
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