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Issue 420
SALLY SIMPLY SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE by Deborah Stumpf 
Admit it. How many times have you tried to say “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” as fast as you can three times…even as an adult? Tongue twisters are not just for kids. There’s nothing like a good twister to get everyone laughing. Kids love the silliness and adults love the challenge.
I thought a thought. But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought. These thousand tricky tongue twisters trip thrillingly off the tongue. Tongue-twisters of Long Ago It is difficult to find exactly when the tongue twister began, but long ago they were associated with magical powers. Those of the mystical persuasion would recite tongue twisters while casting spells or placing hexes on others. Some think that under certain conditions reciting tongue twisters can produce alternate states of awareness. It’s a stretch, but okay. Tongue twisters have also been and are still used in speech therapy. Tricks of the Trade According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a tongue twister is “a sequence of words, often alliterative, difficult to articulate quickly.” And a battologism, a close relative of the tongue twister, is “a phrase or sentence built by (tiresome) repetition of the same words or sounds.” A tongue twister can be as short as three or four words or contain several lines as in a poem. Most tongue twisters utilize both rhyme and repetition in their structure. For example, She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells that she sells are sea shells I’m sure, uses sequences of sounds followed by the same sequences that have some of the sounds exchanged. Betty Botter is another example of a hard to read twister: Betty Botter bought a bit of butter The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter And made her batter bitter. But a bit of better butter makes better batter. So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better. Leave it to Dr. Seuss to give us “Fox in Sox,” an entire book of tongue twisters. A spoonerism is another type of twister that uses phrases and sounds that purposely cause the reader to mispronounce certain words as swear words. Since this is a family publication, you’ll have to look those up on your own. Not Just For The English Tongue twisters exist in every language, including sign language. In sign language, it is called a finger fumbler and one of the more well known is good blood, bad blood, considered both a tongue twister and a finger fumbler. A shibboleth, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “a word or phrase used as a test for detecting foreigners, or persons from another district, by their pronunciation.” A more twisted trick indeed. Tongue or Brain Twister? Just as no one knows exactly how the tongue twister got started, scientists do not know exactly what is involved in the phenomenon of tongue twisting. It is true that the tongue is the all important organ in speech. We can’t say a coherent word without it, nor make sounds appropriately. Just try talking with your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth with the tip against the back of your teeth. Cat got your tongue? The brain, however, may just be the real mastermind behind correct speech. In 1982, researchers Ralph Haber and Lyn Haber conducted an experiment involving subjects silently reading known tongue twisters. Their control group read normal sentences silently. The silent tongue twister readers took longer to read their prose than the non-twister readers, indicating that the brain indeed may be the prominent stumbling block. The Toughest Twister The Guinness World Records claims that the following is the most difficult tongue twister in the English language. Who can even say this once? The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick. The Seemingly Simple If you want to try your hand at these rhythmic wonders, try some easy ones first, such as:
Next Steps If you’ve mastered the simple, how about something a little more challenging? Here are a couple oldies but goodies: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, And chuck as much as a woodchuck would If a woodchuck could chuck wood Now For the Pros These are not for novices: If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully. Red leather yellow leather Can you can a canned can into an uncanned can like a canner can can a canned can into an uncanned can? Three sweet switched Swiss witches Watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches Which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch? Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- Balancing them badly. A bloke's bike back brake block broke Give me the gift of a grip top sock: a drip-drape, ship-shape tip-top sock. Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously; for nobody's toeses are poses of roses, as Moses supposes his toeses to be. Three’s a Charm These must be said three times, as fast as possible, to get the full effect:
Issue 421
SNIPPETZ TALKS TURKEY: THANKSGIVING FROM THE BEGINNING by Deborah Stumpf 
"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"
-Erma Bombeck The turkey is symbolic with Thanksgiving, but would it be if it had replaced the eagle as America’s national bird? Benjamin Franklin really wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. However, Thomas Jefferson emphatically opposed the idea and campaigned vigorously against it. Rumor has it that Franklin came up with “Tom Turkey” to spite Jefferson. And that’s just a snippetz from Thanksgiving history books. Thanksgiving history plus On Dec. 11, 1620, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, Mass., bringing the first pilgrims to America’s shores. Within about a year, only half of the pilgrims had survived. Those who did were grateful to be alive and decided to give thanks with a community wide feast. Because they taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land, Gov. William Bradford invited Wampanoag Chief Massasoit to the feast. The chief brought 90 tribesmen, who, along with the pilgrims, celebrated for three days. In 1789, George Washington became the first president to proclaim a National Day of Thanksgiving. In 1817, New York was the first state to make Thanksgiving Day an annual tradition. (The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the Big Apple began in the 1920s.) A magazine editor by the name of Sarah Hale worked feverishly toward naming Thanksgiving a national holiday, and Abraham Lincoln announced it as such in his proclamation Oct. 3, 1863. Lincoln also set Thanksgiving Day as the last Thursday of November. To ensure enough time between Thanksgiving and Christmas for holiday shopping, President Franklin Roosevelt also proclaimed the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. In 1941, Congress declared that from then on Thanksgiving would be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of each November. And so it goes – the feast No one is certain about the kind of food the pilgrims brought to their original Thanksgiving celebration, but the “drink” has much in common with modern-day Thanksgiving revelry. Beer! The pilgrims carried it over on the Mayflower and beer was the celebratory drink during their feast – as it is today. Americans spend about 3.7 hours watching TV on Thanksgiving Day; whether it’s watching it or playing it, football is a big part of the celebration. Beer and football go together like wine and art. Although turkey is the highlight of the modern Thanksgiving menu, it may not have been with the pilgrims – at the least, it wasn’t the big draw. Many have tried to determine the food at the first Thanksgiving dinner. Boiled lobster, cod, roasted goose or duck, roasted venison and boiled turkey have been suggested as the main entrées. Some surmised the side dishes as cornmeal pudding, stewed pumpkin, hominy pudding and fruits and cheeses. Goose and duck continue as some mainstays of Thanksgiving dinner in American homes. Ham is another favorite. The turkey takes first place; but, regardless of the meat, the side dishes have become the common bond that unites American dinner tables on Thanksgiving Day. What’s Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, cranberries – and pumpkin pie? Originally called the crane berry, the pilgrims named the cranberry because of its pink blossoms and droopy head, which reminded them of a crane. The pilgrims sweetened cranberries with maple sugar, and cranberry sauce became a dish akin to Thanksgiving. In 1955, Dorcas Reilly, a supervisor at the Campbell Soup Co. kitchen, created the green bean casserole – green beans, cream of mushroom soup and fried onions to top it off. The casserole is the most popular recipe to come out of Campbell’s corporate kitchen. Even with bellies full of turkey, casseroles and cranberries, there’s always room for Thanksgiving dessert. Pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving are synonymous. In 2007, 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in the U.S. Ole Tom
WORLDWIDE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS Canada Canada’s Thanksgiving tradition goes way back. In 1578, Martin Frobisher, an explorer who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient, held a ceremony to give thanks for surviving his long journey. The celebration took place in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and is considered the first Thanksgiving in North America. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday in October, with a three-day weekend. Korea Known as the Korean Thanksgiving, Chusok is a three-day holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar Korean calendar. Koreans believe their ancestors bless the harvest crops each year so Chusok is a time to give them thanks. In South Korea, Koreans return to ancestral hometowns and pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors. After visiting the tombs, they offer food and drink to their ancestors and have a feast of their own. Songpyeon is a favorite – a crescent-shaped rice cake steamed atop pine needles. Israel The harvest festival of Succoth in Israel lasts seven days and occurs on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (late September to October). It’s also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles. This festival is rooted in the Hebrews who wandered the wilderness on their way to Israel. During the pilgrimage, the Hebrews lived in temporary booths or structures – called a succah. Farmers also lived in what they called Sukkoths during harvest time. Succoth is a celebration to thank God for crops and blessings. India Pongal or the Rice Harvest Festival is a celebration of thanks in South India to all who contributed to a successful harvest and to the gods, sun and cattle. Pongal, named for a sweet rice dish, begins Jan. 14 each year and lasts three days. Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, is the harvest festival of Northern India. It corresponds to April 13 in the Gregorian calendar. Africa The Yam Festival is named after the yam crops, which are the first to be harvested in African countries. People offer yams to gods and ancestors first before distributing them to the villagers – a way to give back to the spirits above. The Yam Festival is held in August at the end of the rainy season. It’s especially popular in Ghana and Nigeria. Far East The Moon Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is around mid or late September in the Gregorian calendar. The actual date varies but parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar. When the moon is at its fullest, the Chinese believe it’s the best time to celebrate the abundance of the summer harvest. The moon cake is the traditional food of the festival. Inside the golden brown crust of the moon cake is a sweet bean-paste filling. Chinese family members and friends gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes (a Chinese grapefruit). Real Corny Thanksgiving Jokes What did the turkeys sing on Thanksgiving Day? God save the kin. What key has legs and can't open doors? A Turkey Why did the turkey cross the road? It was the chicken's day off. If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for? Their age Why can't you take a turkey to church? Because they use such FOWL language Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building? Yes - a building can't jump at all Why did they let the turkey join the band? Because he had the drumsticks Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected it of fowl play Thanksgiving disasters Although everyone wants Uncle Joe to forego the Jack Daniels and the turkey to come out perfect, Thanksgiving Day is also known for its mishaps – when anything that can go wrong, will. Check out of few Thanksgiving nightmares. Dog thiefs “Growing up in Maryland and the daughter of a veterinarian, we never knew what animals were in our household. At this particular Thanksgiving, we had three dogs, two cats, a bird and a rabbit. My Mom was an excellent cook and we always had company in droves for Thanksgiving. This one year mom thawed the turkey 38 lbs. or bigger in the basement fridge. When she went to the fridge to get the turkey on Thanksgiving morning, she was horrified to find it gone … vanished. She screamed for my dad, who promptly followed a hunch and a trail out to our backyard, where two of the three dogs were dining on raw turkey. The fridge had the old style pull handle and one helped the other and they dragged this bird to the backyard. We had a houseful of guests enjoying tons of side dishes and slabs of bacon that year.” Supposed to cook the turkey “My daughter decided to host Thanksgiving at her house with all the relatives. We were just about to start our day preparing the turkey. Well, when she put it in the oven, she accidentally pushed the self -clean button, where the oven locks itself and cleans for about five hours. No one noticed until we checked it a few hours later … we suddenly found ourselves trying to pry the oven door open but nothing seemed to work. The men began to bring out their screwdrivers and drills in an attempt to salvage the bird. But in the end when we finally did get it out, the oven was destroyed but we had a very clean turkey.” Never leave the turkey alone “We were at my grandmother's home for Thanksgiving; the entire family of 24 had gathered for the feast. The dining room table was set with the finest china, silver and crystal. The wonderful array of food was placed on the table, along with the delectable turkey, to cool; while the gravy was being made and all last minute preparations were being done. The women were cooking in the kitchen; the men were watching TV (of course!); the children were playing. The dog, a normally placid, well behaved Irish setter, Betsy, was eyeing the turkey. She saw her opening – no one was looking, there was a turkey on the table, ‘What were these stupid people doing? Hmmm, well, if no one else wants that turkey, I think that I will jump up on the table and help myself.’ My mother saw her grab the turkey by the wing and drag it off the table, along with half of the china and crystal, and prance around the room with the prize. Before my very proper grandmother knew, we retrieved the turkey from the dog …. and had a family conspiracy (in the making) to explain the mess, without my grandmother having a fit. My male cousins took the fall by claiming to play football in the dining room. We all ate the turkey, and it continues to be a favorite holiday story. My Grandmother now knows the story, and laughs with the family. Betsy is gone now; we have a new dog, Prince, and he goes outside before we set the table. “ Know thy flour “Two years ago, my mom was making the gravy (turkey drippings, flour and milk) and she couldn't figure out why it wasn't thickening. She tried a small spoonful and thought it tasted quite sweet, so assumed it was a really good turkey. After adding even more flour and milk to the gravy (and still not thickening), she looked a little closer at the container of flour and discovered that she had pulled out the powdered sugar instead. We ended up having packaged gravy instead of the real stuff and a story to tell for years to come.” Happy Thanksgiving – and good luck! 
Issue 422
SNIPPETZ WONDERS: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO D.B. COOPER? by Deborah Stumpf 
Of the nearly dozen in-flight hijackings that have taken place in the United States since the late 1950s, there has been only one that the FBI has yet to solve – Northwest Airlines Flight 305 – perpetrator: D.B Cooper. Hijackings have not typically been the source of adventure tales or lighthearted jokes, but D.B. Cooper’s story has spawned such, as well as what might be considered a cult following, for over 30 years.
The Hijacking On Nov. 24, 1971, in Portland, Ore., a middle age man by the name of Dan Cooper boarded a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 commercial jet. Flight 305, with a total of 36 passengers, was scheduled to leave for Seattle, Wash., at 4:35 p.m. but took off a bit late at 4:45 p.m. When the plane reached cruising altitude, Dan Cooper handed the stewardess a note. The note was never found, so there is no real account of its contents. But the gist of the note indicated that Cooper was hijacking the plane for ransom money and had a bomb in his briefcase, which he would use if they didn’t oblige his demands. After the captain of the plane was told of the note, he came out to talk to Cooper with the hope that the note was a hoax. When Cooper opened his briefcase to reveal the makings of a bomb, the captain went back to the cockpit and radioed Seattle. The Ransom Cooper demanded four parachutes and $200,000. He ordered the pilots to circle the Seattle airport until the money and the parachutes were available for delivery to him. The president of Northwest Airlines decided to give in to Cooper’s demands. Airline officials and FBI agents scurried to attain the parachutes and the $200,000. The types and number of parachutes that Cooper had requested led authorities to speculate that Cooper had experience in freefall parachuting – and that he might have had an accomplice. The FBI gathered $200,000 – all in $20 bills, which were photographed with a high-speed machine that created a microfilm for identifying serial numbers. At 5:24 p.m., the ransom had been collected. The flight crew was told to head in and the plane landed at 5:45 p.m. The Escape After Cooper received the money and the parachutes, all of the passengers and two stewardesses were allowed to leave the plane. The pilots and one stewardess remained. At Cooper’s demands, the plane was refueled for a flight to Reno, Nev. En route to Reno, Cooper told the pilots to fly low – not to exceed 10,000 feet altitude, with landing gear down and to maintain speeds below 172.5 mph. Cooper also told the stewardess and pilots to remain in the crew compartment, which left Cooper alone in the passenger area. In flight to Reno, a flight engineer noticed a red “door open” warning light on the flight instrument, indicating the back stairwell was opening. When the plane landed in Reno a little after 8 p.m., Cooper was gone, along with the money and two parachutes. Cooper had jumped into a storm, with air temperatures of 7 degrees below zero and strong winds and freezing rain. The weather even deterred the hunt for Cooper by a few days. He had left a few items on board. FBI agents found a tie, tie tack, eight of Cooper’s cigarette butts and two parachutes on the plane. Not only did Cooper gain notoriety as the FBI’s only unsolved hijacking case, he also prompted Boeing 727 to redesign the jetliner so the rear door would remain closed in flight. The Chase For three weeks after the weather cleared, soldiers from Fort Lewis Washington trekked across an area where it had been calculated that Cooper bailed from the plane. Because of the red warning light and the “bumps in the road” the pilots described when the stairway was opened, authorities estimated that Cooper had landed near Ariel, Wash. The search took the soldiers through a rugged forested area and farm land. The FBI used a computer to try and nail the exact site where Cooper landed. Conclusions led to Lake Merwin, located on the edge of Ariel. All efforts to find Cooper were fruitless. Not even a stitch of clothing had been found during the search. The FBI believed (and still does) that Cooper could not have survived the jump. Although Cooper’s first name had been listed as Dan, FBI agents had checked out a man in Portland, Ore., with the name of D.B. Cooper. He had been cleared, but for whatever reason D.B. Cooper became the hijacker’s moniker. Cooper Gets His Day D.B. Cooper became the subject of a song, a movie (in which he got away with the money), T-shirts and events. In 1976, five years after the hijacking, residents of Ariel, Wash., held a D.B. Cooper party. Despite the FBI’s contention that Cooper didn’t make it, others wanted to believe differently. Cooper became a celebrity – the only hijacker to elude the FBI. Years later, in 1984, members of the U.S. Air Force squadron that had sent planes in pursuit of Cooper in 1971 staged their own celebration: the D.B. Cooper Debacle Dining In, a formal dinner held at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Wash. D. B. Cooper Day became a tradition – set on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s been reported that people from all over the world visit Ariel each year to take part in Cooper Day festivities. Speaking of the Party The annual Ariel, Wash., D.B. Cooper party is the town’s claim to fame. About 250 people show up every year to join the hoopla surrounding the mystery of one of the country’s most infamous hijackers. With each five-year celebration, the number of attendees doubles. The party begins at 1 p.m. and lasts all day – usually ending about midnight – probably a late night for a town of 700 people. There’s a D. B. Cooper look-alike contest – fans show up dressed in a suit, minus their shoes and carrying a backpack, parachute and goggles. Prizes are given to the person who comes up with the best story about what could have happened to D.B. Of course, there’s food and drink and plenty of music. Fraud and Copycats Cooper himself was a copycat. Just two weeks prior to the Seattle hijacking, a man in Montana had tried to hijack a plane with a gun but was overcome by the flight crew. More than a year after the Cooper hijacking, two men conned a national magazine editor into paying them $30,000 for an exclusive interview with the elusive Cooper. One of the men would pose as Cooper. After authorities were alerted to the scam, the two men were arrested on federal fraud charges. On July 12, 1980, a young man between age 17 and 20, took charge of a Northwest Airlines flight in Seattle as it taxied on the runway before taking off to Portland, Ore. Stating that he had a bomb in his briefcase and demanding two parachutes and $100,000, he held off authorities for 10 hours. After he released seven crew members and the women and children among the 52 passengers, a crafty stewardess slipped him a couple of valiums in his drink. Eventually, in a more laid-back state of mind, the perpetrator let two more crew members and all of the passengers leave the plane. His demands went from $100,000 and the parachutes to a rental car and three cheeseburgers. An FBI agent persuaded the lad to surrender. Remnants of the Hijacking Northwest of Vancouver, Wash., in February 1980, an 8-year-old boy on a family picnic along the Columbia River found three bundles of $20 bills totaling $5,800. The FBI identified the weathered money from the serial numbers and concluded it was part of the ransom money given to Cooper. An instruction card on how to lower the stairs of a 727 was found north of Cooper’s projected parachute landing zone. Authorities confirmed that the card came from the hijacking. In October 2007, the FBI reported they had obtained a partial DNA profile of Cooper from the tie he left on the airplane. The FBI resumed the case and posted sketches and fact sheets on the Internet under the assumption that it could lead to Cooper’s identity. Dead or Alive? During a National Public Radio interview in 2007, FBI agent Larry Carr, the lead agent in the Cooper case today, said Cooper’s case was never closed – an agent had always been assigned to it. Ralph Himmelsbach was the original FBI agent on the case, and he also discussed the case with NPR’s Martin Kaste. Himmelsbach wrote a book on the case, “NORJAK: The Investigation of D.B. Cooper.” Himmelsback said he believed that Cooper died in the jump because of a few mistakes he had made:
While Himmelsbach and Carr believe Cooper died when he landed, others think he had a 50/50 chance of survival. In 1996, Frank Heyl told a reporter from the Seattle Times that he believed Cooper could have survived with luck and training. Dead or alive, Himmelsback describes Cooper as a “sleazy, rotten criminal” whose life had gone “nowhere;” thus, the reason for the attempted hijacking. Himmelsback said Cooper could have been ex-military but was more than likely an ex-con, loner type without much consideration for anyone, including friends and family members. Witnesses to the hijacking described Cooper as about 6 feet tall, with an athletic build and a dark complexion and in his late 40s. They said he used fowl language and drank whiskey and smoked Raleigh filter tips on the plane. Because Cooper became a sort of folk hero, Himmelsbach said he would like to find out the truth. He told Kaste in the NPR interview that he had received numerous e-mails from people who didn’t want the FBI to solve the D.B. Cooper case. Why would they want to diminish Cooper Day and dilute the party atmosphere? Just in case D.B. Cooper is alive and well and living on some island basking in the sun with one of those tropical fruity drinks (how far does $200,000 go anyway), air-piracy charges await him in U.S. District Court. 
Issue 423
SNIPPETZ DISCOVERS NO SHORTAGE OF HOLIDAYS IN DECEMBER by Deborah Stumpf What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day. - Phyllis Diller There is indeed a holiday in December for everyone – be it religious, cultural, scrooge-like or just a plain day off work. And December means big business for merchants. According to a survey conducted by American Research Group, Inc., Americans spent on average $431 in 2008 for gift-giving, a number that represents a steady decrease since the high of $1,052 in 2001. This year promises even less spending. Nonetheless, the holiday season is upon us, so pick a holiday to your liking and let the celebrating begin! St. Nicholas Day – December 6 St. Nick is not just a nickname for Santa Claus. He was an actual person, the Bishop of Myra, living in what is now Turkey from 270 to 346 A.D. St. Nicholas reputedly would secretly bestowed gifts on others, particularly the poor and children. He became the patron saint of children, students, merchants, sailors and pawnbrokers. Saint Nicholas festivals are held in many countries around the world, but in cities in the United States with a significant German population such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis and Milwaukee, the holiday is a bit more low key. On the eve of Dec. 6, children put a shoe or sock outside and in the morning will find a small gift such as candy (in the case of having been “good” throughout the year) or coal (not so good). Sound familiar? It is thought by many that the tradition of Saint Nicholas Day is where Santa Claus and gift-gifting associated with Christmas originated. Hanukkah – December 11 This year, Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 11. This Jewish holiday is celebrated for eight consecutive days and nights and commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem which had been desecrated by King Antiochus during the 2nd century B.C. When Judah Maccabee, the son of the Jewish Head Priest Mattathias stormed the temple to reclaim it, he found it in very poor condition as it had been used for the worship of Greek gods with rituals that included sacrificing pigs on the altar. He also found that there was one remaining container of olive oil that had been sealed by the High Priest to fuel the menorah in the temple. There was only enough to light the temple for one day, but miraculously the oil lasted for eight days, which coincidentally happened to be the amount of time it took to press a batch of new oil. The holiday is celebrated with rituals that include the lighting of one candle each night, representing the miracle of the oil. Jewish prayers and blessings are recited along with singing of songs. And what’s a holiday without food? Foods for Hanukkah include specifically those fried in olive oil (a symbol of the miracle of the eight days of oil), especially latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts filled with jam. Tradition also includes the giving of gifts on each of the eight days of Hanukkah. It was once the giving of coins to children, but it is thought that the influence of the gift-giving tradition honored at Christmas has now taken a stronghold on the Jewish holiday. Humbug Day – December 21 If you like to think of yourself as a Grinch or scrooge, this is your day! It’s difficult to find where Humbug Day originated, but the name seems to speak for itself. Like any other holiday, it should be open for establishing its own traditions and consuming special foods. There’s always the possible tradition of grumbling and complaining about the holiday season in general. Maybe pizza could be the food of choice. Well, we have to start somewhere. Christmas – December 25 Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The holiday is rich in custom and tradition with preparation for the 25th starting as early as the day after Thanksgiving (and for some stores – October!). The holiday is so widespread that it is celebrated by many non-Christians as well. Gift-giving is a signature custom as well as sending greeting cards, singing Christmas carols and decorating with Christmas trees, nativity scenes and lights. And let’s not forget the all important Santa Claus, the mythical figure who brings gifts to the delight of children everywhere. A few ‘snippetz’ about Christmas:
Kwanzaa - December 26 Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday developed in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a Pan-African studies professor. The name Kwanzaa comes from Swahili (an East African language) and means first fruits. The holiday spans seven days, ending on Jan. 1. Kwanzaa is a celebration of African heritage. Initially, Karenga meant for the celebration to be an alternative to the Christian celebration of Christmas. However, over the years, it was recognized that both can and are celebrated simultaneously. First and foremost, the Kwanzaa holiday centers around seven principles of black culture, also developed by Karenga. They are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each of these principles has its own day, so to speak, within the seven days of the Kwanzaa celebration. Each evening, a family member lights a candle in honor of the principle for that day. In some families gifts are exchanged and the evening may culminate in a feast of traditional foods such as fruit salad, fried okra and greens, yams, jollof rice (a rice dish with tomatoes and mainly fish or chicken) and cornbread. Boxing Day – December 26 Contrary to what the name might imply, this holiday is not about the sport of boxing. It’s a national bank or public holiday observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Hong Kong. It is also celebrated in South Africa, but is known as the Day of Goodwill. The name actually comes from an English tradition of giving gifts called the “Christmas box” to those less fortunate. In the countries that celebrate Boxing Day, there are two main celebratory traditions – shopping and sports. For the shoppers, merchants drastically reduce products for sale and folks will line up in the wee hours of the morning for those 5:00 a.m. “door busters” (think Black Friday in the U.S.). For couch potatoes, the day offers a plethora of sports to enjoy – football, rugby, cricket and ice hockey. National Whiner’s Day – December 26 See Humbug Day above, but add whining to grumbling and complaining; replace pizza with hamburgers. Two Takes on the Holiday Season Dr. Seuss: And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Dave Barry: In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!' Happy Holidays! 
Issue 424
SNIPPETZ YELLS BINGO! by Deborah Stumpf How do you get three little old ladies to say "damn?” Get a fourth one to yell "Bingo.” Surprisingly, thirty percent of bingo players are under age 35; and, with the onset of online bingo, the game is no longer associated with little old ladies. The average age of online players is 41. However, more than 1 billion people still play bingo in bingo halls across the nation. It’s been a favorite pastime worldwide for centuries. A Historical Perspective The game of Bingo goes back to 1530 to an Italian lottery called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia.” Italians still play the game every Sunday. France took up the game in the late 1770s. Called “Le Lotto,” it was a game for wealthy Frenchmen. In the 1800s, Germany caught on to bingo and used it to teach children how to spell and learn math and history. In 1929, bingo was introduced in North America – only it was originally called “beano.” The original version had a dealer who would select numbered discs from a cigar box; players would then mark their cards with beans and yell “beano” if they won. The first game was played at a traveling carnival near Atlanta, Ga. A New York toy salesman, Edwin S. Lowe, took the game to the Big Apple and renamed it “bingo” after he overheard someone accidentally yell “bingo” instead of “beano.” The Lowe Bingo Game had two versions: a 12-card set for $1; a $2 set with 24 cards. When churches began to offer bingo as a fundraiser, the game’s popularity spread like wildfire throughout the country. Cashing in on the Craze A Catholic priest from Wilkes-Barre, Penn., approached Edwin Lowe about using bingo to raise funds to remodel his church building. After Lowe agreed, the priest held regular bingo nights and eventually raised enough money to not only remodel but also construct a new building. By 1934, an estimated 10,000 bingo games were held each week as charity events throughout North America. Colorado has about 63 bingo halls – some are independent; others are connected to a few Moose lodges, VFWs, Elks and churches. Bingo has become big business for nonprofit organizations and Native Americans. In the U.S., 48 states and more than 100 Native American reservations offer legal bingo games. Rules, Rules, Rules Because bingo involves money wagering activity, it falls under gambling and is highly regulated. Each state has a different set of policies governing bingo and bingo operators. Some general rules nationwide:
Online Bingo It’s a Web-based world, so why wouldn’t bingo find an online niche? More than 3 million people regularly play online bingo, and there are more than 250,000 cash winners at online bingo sites every week. Online bingo sites offer a variety of options, from playing bingo for entertainment only to non-cash prizes like electronics, subscriptions and gift cards. Most prefer to play for money. Cash prizes range from $1 to thousands for one single game. Online bingo has created the same kind of venue for developing friendships as the bingo hall. Online chatting is common during bingo games. Online bingo sites offer free-to-play bingo games, along with a few pay-to-play games. Other sites allow players to simply purchase online bingo cards. The only difference between land bingo and online bingo is the latter is faster. More than 80 percent of online players are women, and people age 65 or older comprise only 2 percent of online players. Bingo and Hamburgers? Los Angeles is home to one of the most well known bingo games in the U.S. called “Legendary Bingo,” and it began in 1998 at a coffee house in L.A. When the coffee joint went out of business, Legendary Bingo headed over to Hamburger Mary’s, a popular bar and restaurant in L.A. Legendary Bingo has raised almost $1 million for charities ranging from AIDS research to Habitat for Humanity to the arts. Hollywood shows up for the games as well in the form of celebrity bingo callers. Included in the list is Ed Asner, Linda Blair, Ruth Buzzi, Courteney Cox, Daryl Hannah, Lisa Kudrow, Rod McKuen and Tori Spelling, to name a few. The games are also held regularly in West Hollywood, Palm Springs and Newport Beach. As with other theme-based bingo games, Legendary Bingo is not geared for little old ladies, unless you’re a little old lady in drag. Acting as cheerleaders, drag queens rally the players and keep the game lively. Los Angeles Magazine called Legendary Bingo “one of the hottest, most dangerous things to do at night.” Well, what more can we say about that? Not Just One Kind of Bingo 75 Ball Bingo: most commonly played in the United States. This form of bingo is played on a 5x5 board with 75 being the highest number on the card. 90 Ball Bingo: the preferred type of bingo game used in the United Kingdom. Players can win multiple prizes from the same board. The bingo card has 9 columns and 3 rows. Regular Bingo: The participants play for just one prize. The first person to cover a card in the pre-determined pattern wins. Combo: more than one way to win and the same player can win twice or multiple players can win. For example, someone could win with a one-shape and another person may follow up that win with a four-corner pattern. Pre-call: all cards are sealed. No one can see their cards until the game begins. These games are special events with big payouts. Odd-Even: another sealed bingo card game where called numbers are either even or odd. Progressive: big money bingo. The winner must get bingo in a pre-determined number of calls. If no one wins, the pot is carried over to the next round. The winnings grow until there is a winner. Bingo Facts
For The Enthusiast • There’s Bingo America on the GSN television station, which also has an online version. • And there’s Bingo Caller Magazine, Bingo Scene Magazine and Bingo and Gaming Magazine – online or in print. • And a song (maybe not related but who knows): “There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o – B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, Bingo was his name-o” – a simple song at that. BINGO! 
Issue 425
SNIPPETZ FINDS ANOTHER HOLIDAY: WINTER SOLSTICE by Deborah Stumpf "Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider." - Yule Lore On December 21, the earth’s axis will tilt the farthest away from the sun – 23.5 degrees – in the northern hemisphere, creating the shortest day of the year. The event happens within seconds, but it has fostered an everlasting holiday: winter solstice. The day signifies the beginning of winter and a day with the least amount of sunshine. Some argue that it’s the beginning of spring, because the days become longer starting Dec. 22. Reason enough to celebrate! “Solstice” comes from the Latin word “solstitium,” which translates to sol (sun) and stitium (stoppage). Less light became a challenge in ancient times for people who lived off the land. They scrambled to horde food for the shorter days and feared that the sun would completely disappear, and they would slowly die of starvation or cold. They began to hold rituals in honor of Mother Nature, asking her for the sun to return. Those rituals became ensconced over time and eventually known as winter solstice. The Rituals In her book, “The Winter Solstice,” Ellen Jackson said people long ago tried to placate the gods by bringing evergreen trees into their homes, tying apples to oak and fir tree branches “as a promise that good times will come again.” Other traditions – often associated with Paganism – that relate to modern-day Christmas celebrations include mistletoe, gifts, reindeer, holly and ivy and winter plays. In old Europe, winter solstice was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul or wheel – the namesake of the Yule log. From Christians to Jews to vampires, many celebrate winter solstice in a variety of ways for a myriad of reasons. Christianity: Many of the symbols and customs associated with Christmas are rooted in winter solstice celebrations of ancient pagan religions. Christians have interwoven many of the original rituals with their celebration of the birth of Christ. In fact, the date, Dec. 25, was born out of paganism. In the third century BC, as part of the Roman winter solstice celebration, Emperor Aurelian established Dec. 25 as the birthday of the “invincible sun.” In the year 273, the Christian Church chose Dec. 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ; and, by 336, the Roman feast had become Christian as well. It took centuries before the birthday (Dec. 25) of Jesus Christ was accepted among Christians. Because of its link with paganism, there was controversy in the early days. In the 17th century in Massachusetts, the Puritans tried to ban Christmas because of its link to Paganism. In 1647, the English Parliament abolished Christmas. Obviously, the Dec. 25 birthday of Jesus was “born again” and has become a widely celebrated event – beyond Christianity to commerciality. Controversy still surrounds Christmas in the modern world. Many people believe that Christmas should be more inclusive of all faiths. Christians, however, believe in keeping the true meaning in their religion alive and in the forefront of December celebrations. Many Christians dismiss winter solstice celebrations because of its origin to paganism. Native American Spirituality: Native American celebrations focus on the sun, the new year and the rebirth of spring vegetation. Winter solstice rites among the Pueblo tribe include making prayer sticks and retreats. The Hopi tribe honors the winter solstice through a ceremony called Soyal, which lasts for 20 days. Purification rituals, a rabbit hunt and a feast and blessings are part of Soyal celebrations. Atheism: More recently, atheists throughout the country have organized winter solstice celebrations as a way to celebrate the season, without having to adhere to the Christian meaning of Christmas. Some of the celebrations include the Great North Texas Infidel Bash in Weatherford, Texas; the Winter Solstice Bash in Roselle, N.J.; and winter solstice parties in Pennsylvania, Idaho, Maryland, Iowa, Arizona, California and Colorado. Winter solstice celebrations for atheists have spread to many states in the last few years. Neopaganism: Paganism is coined neopaganism today because of its root to many pre-Christian religions. Neopagans are polytheistic or duotheistic, meaning they believe in two or many gods. Wicca is the most common religion derived from ancient Paganism, and Wiccans worship the Goddess and the God. Neopagan beliefs are centered on nature, the earth and the seasons – the same as the ancient Pagan cultures that created winter solstice celebrations. In keeping with tradition, Wiccans (and other neopagans) celebrate winter solstice, often referring to it as Yule. In Wiccan religion, the winter solstice is a time of self-exploration and planning for the future. Druidism is seeded in paganism, too. In the ancient Celtic society, Druids were priests, teachers, philosophers, scientists and judges. They led all public rituals, including the winter solstice, which, among Druids, represents the death of the old sun and the birth of the dark half of the year. Vampyres: Not to be confused with Hollywood versions, commonly spelled “vampires.” There are real people – vampyres – who believe they need to ingest small quantities of blood to maintain strength and energy. The “Long Night” is the winter solstice festival for vampyres. At the celebration, vampyres recognize new members of the coven and some perform rites of passage into the vampyre world. Vampyres do not believe they are immortal. Not all vampyres drink blood, and those who do get their blood from willing sources. (From www.realvampyres.net) A Few Celebration Ideas
Last, for the perfect holiday music that features traditional Christmas songs and tunes akin to the winter solstice, check out “Midwinter Graces” by Tori Amos. The singer had called the album a celebration of the winter solstice and has been dubbed as the “perfect blend of spirituality and nature.” Merry Winter Solstice? 
Issue 426
SNIPPETZ THINKS IT'S ABOUT TIME by Deborah Stumpf 
What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.
-Saint Augustine Time is on your side; for the time being; time to go; give me some time; it will take time; I don’t have time; time is of the essence; he’s so behind the times; it’s high time you tail on out of here. Ever wonder how many times the word time is repeated in the average human dialogue every day? According to Dictionary.com, the word “time” can be a noun, verb or adjective – and the Web site defines “time” using 64 examples. A few:
Of course, there’s plenty of idioms (sequence of words that form a meaning) with the word “time.” At times, Sally feels like playing hooky from her work. For the time being, however, she will have to focus on her idea so she can stay ahead of time. In good time, Sally will have made her million, and then she’ll have the time of her life. And There’s Father Time The term “Father Time” conjures up an image of an old bearded man carrying a scythe, clothed in a robe. The term is synonymous with New Year’s – out with the old and in with the new. The Greek god Cronus, god of agriculture, is the original Father Time. The Roman god of agriculture was Saturn, also representative of Father Time. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a weeklong harvest in December, which is said to have influenced the decision to set Dec. 25 as the birthday of Christ; thus, Christmas. This is how, in a roundabout way, that Father Time became a symbol of the passing of the old year. Modern-day customs have Father Time handing over the personification of time to Baby New Year. Speaking of New Year’s New Year’s is, of course, born out of the Gregorian calendar. Julius Ceasar was the first to introduce a calendar, which included too many leap years. By 1582, Ceasar’s calendar was out of sync with the seasons. The new year had been celebrated March 25. Pope Gregory brought time back into step by suggesting that three leap years be dropped every 400 years. The Gregorian calendar came into play and has stood its time! Because time is the focus of New Year’s Eve, it wouldn’t be too off course of the subject to mention the myriad of celebrations throughout the world. Besides the whistles and clangs as the midnight hour rolls in, many countries have at least one special dish traditional on New Year’s Day. The U.S. Of course, there’s Times Square, Dick Clark and the big ball – and cake and champagne. However, folklore has it that Americans will experience good luck during the coming year if they eat black-eyed peas and rice New Year’s Day. Austria Carp (believe it or not) and pork are New Year’s good luck foods in Austria. They also invite the new year with faschingkrapfen, which are Carnival jelly donuts; and glucksbringer – chocolate and marzipan candies shaped like pigs, gold coins, chimney sweeps, four-leaf clovers and horseshoes. Vietnam A rice pudding containing mung beans and pork is always part of the celebration. Watermelon is thought to bring good luck because of the red of the flesh. Watermelon seeds are dyed red and served as delicacies. Greece Jan. 1 is also St. Basil’s Day in Greece. St. Basil, a forefather of the Greek Orthodox Church, is honored for his generosity to the poor. It is believed he died Jan. 1. The most important dish on New Year’s Day is vassilopitta, or St. Basil’s cake. Inside the cake is a silver or gold coin. The cake is distributed in order: the first piece for St. Basil, the second for the household, the third for the most senior member of the household and on down to the youngest member of the household. A piece of cake is often reserved for cattle and a big piece for the poor. The person who finds the coin in the cake will have good luck the entire year. Scotland The first person out of bed on New Year’s Day takes spiced ale to those still sleeping. Later on, the Scottish consume black buns (a must for New Year’s) shortbread, oatmeal cakes, scones, cheese and whiskey and wine (unless the first person out of bed has been knocked silly by those he wakes up). Enough About New Year’s It’s time to get back to “time.” American Scientist Stephen Hawking wrote a book, “Brief History of Time, From the Big Bang to Black Holes,” which became a bestseller in 1988. In the book, Hawking covers cosmology, Big Bang, black holes, light cones and explains complex math. The book sold more than 9 million copies and has been revised a few times. There are many books with time as a theme, at least in the title. One book alluding to time that is nothing like Hawking’s is “A Time to Kill” by John Grisham. Reading that book will easily kill time. A Time to Dance Keeping time with everyday news items are hordes of magazines and newspapers that also incorporated the word “time” in their titles, such as “Time Magazine” and “The New York Times.” But the music industry takes the cake for song titles and lyrics about time. Baby boomers will remember some. “Time of the Season” by the Zombies “There’s a Time for Us” by Johnny Mathis “No Time” by Guess Who “As Time Goes By” by a bunch, from Billie Holiday to Rod Stewart “Time has Come Today” by the Chambers Brothers “Time After Time” by Frank Sinatra “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce “Funny how Time Slips Away” by Willie Nelson “Cryin’ Time” by Buck Owens “Love Me Two Times” by the Doors “Time Won’t Let Me” by the Outsiders “Time” by Pink Floyd As time went on, new music artists included “time” in their titles. “Party all the Time” by Eddie Murphy and Rick James “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears “Time Stand Still” by Rush “Killing Time” by Clint Black “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon “This Time” by Bryan Adams “Hearts Done Time” by Aerosmith “Time” by Hootie and the Blowfish “Time” by Culture Club The Byrds win the how-many-times-can-you-use-the-word-time-in-a-song contest. “To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under Heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to sew, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep … A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time for love, a time for hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late” Time Capsules Preserving a piece of history and sealing it for discovery in the future is the gist of the time capsule. The idea of time capsules goes way back to vaults of artifacts hidden inside the walls of ancient Mesopotamian cities like Babylon. Tombs, including Egyptian tombs, are also considered time capsules. Recent origins of the time capsule came from the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. The time bomb, as it was first referenced (later changed to the more sensitive time capsule), was part of the Westinghouse exhibit at the fair. The capsule was 90 inches long, more than 6 inches in diameter and weighed 800 lbs. Everyday items such as seeds for food crops, a spool of thread and a 15-minute newsreel were placed inside the capsule. It was buried 50 ft. below a park near the fair site – to be opened in the year 6939. Yes, that’s 5,000 years! Time to Get Up It would be remiss not to mention the association of time with an alarm clock – that pesky machine that jolts people out of their deep sleep. Some say alarm clocks are hazardous to one’s health and waking up naturally is easier on the body – at least more calming. Mother Nature as an alarm clock allows one time to properly welcome the dawning of a new day and make the transition from sleep to consciousness. What do you suppose the boss thinks of that? Here’s how to time your awakening – minus the shrill of the alarm or the blasting music.
Before the body wakes up, it releases a hormone to prepare for the wakeup call. To mentally release the hormone, note the time going to bed; calculate the number of hours before the wakeup hour. Sleep in 90-minute intervals, if possible. Envision wakeup time – and repeat it in your head for 20 seconds. And set the alarm as a backup. Other great ideas for waking up without an alarm clock: get a pet or have a child. OK, readers: Did you see this coming? Till next time, enjoy your time. Snippetz will be on time again next time. Mark your time till then. Good-bye for the time being! It’s time to go! 
Issue 427
SNIPPETZ ANSWERS: WHAT IS JEOPARDY? by Deborah Stumpf 
"I'm curious about everything. Even subjects that don't interest me."
- Alex Trebek Since 1984, T.V. game show Jeopardy! has brought intellectual stimulation to households throughout the world. 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of America’s favorite trivia game show, and to celebrate the milestone, Jeopardy added a teen tournament, a kids’ week reunion, and Celebrity Jeopardy, bringing stars in throughout the season to compete for their favorite charities. Jeopardy is no ordinary trivia game – the topics are tough and potential players have to first prove they are scholars in a variety of subjects. What is Jeopardy? Game shows of the 1950s were wrought with scandals; producers were accused of providing answers to the contestants beforehand. The public was outraged at the apparent rigging of the shows. Jeopardy was introduced to provide a different format from the original shows. Contestants would have to provide answers in the form of a question. Three contestants vie for the winnings, and the champ returns until the next person boots him or her off. Contestants provide answers to a number of categories in a question format, i.e. “What is Jeopardy.” Categories range from political to entertainment – and everything in between. Jeopardy began its television run in 1964 on daytime television, aired on NBC. Art Flemming was the original host; but, by 1975, Jeopardy’s ratings had dropped significantly – enough to cancel the show. Although the network brought it back in 1978, it lasted just one season before being canceled again. CBS picked up Jeopardy in 1984 and put it in a prime time spot with a new host, Alex Trebek. It went into syndication that same year and has never wavered since. Today, Jeopardy airs five nights a week and has enjoyed high ratings, second only to its sister show, Wheel of Fortune. Who is Alex Trebek? Alex Trebek got his start in show biz in his home country of Canada, working as a broadcast journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Co. Trebek covered lots of subjects, from news to sports, for the national T.V. and radio network. In 1966, Trebek began his broadcast game show career as the host of Reach for the Top, a Canadian quiz show for high school students. He went on to host a number of game shows in Canada and the U.S.:
Trebek obviously settled in to his game-show career. He’s become an icon as a T.V. host and has appeared in numerous television and movie favorites – as himself:
He’s also been either the subject of game show sketches or a part of them on Saturday Night Live. Trebek became an American citizen in 1998. He lives in Studio City, Calif., with his wife, Jean, and two children. Nothing has kept him from his hosting duties with Jeopardy. In 2004, he was in a minor car accident; and, in 2007, he had a minor heart attack and was hospitalized for a week. Neither incident interrupted his hosting gig. He has also bred and trained horses. The Emmy Awards has nominated Trebek 12 times for outstanding game show host. He’s won five times. Trebek has his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and earned a Bob Hope Entertainment award for his tours with the USO. Who Holds The Longest Winning Streak? In June 2004, Ken Jennings made his first appearance on Jeopardy. Just a year earlier, producers of the show decided that undefeated winners of the game could return indefinitely. At the time Jennings learned that he had successfully auditioned for Jeopardy, he was a software engineer in Salt Lake City. To prepare for the big game, Jennings spent a month making flash cards and studying such Jeopardy subjects as U.S. presidents, world capitals and “potent potables” – just studying since he’s an admitted “teetotaler.” His preparation served him well. Jennings became a household name during his Jeopardy run, coming back 74 times as the champion. On his 75th appearance, Jennings lost in the final round! However, he had already earned more than $3 million. Hardly a loser, the show brought him instant fame. Jennings had endorsements with Fed Ex and H&R Block and co-invented a couple of trivia games. He went on the talk show circuit and wrote a book, “Brainiac,” which covered the “curious, competitive, compulsive world of trivia buffs.” He took readers behind the scenes of Jeopardy and through a variety of quiz bowls and trivia marathons. Jennings currently lives in Seattle with his wife and young son and daughter. He’s planning another book on trivia. What are Memorable Jeopardy Moments?
What are Some More Facts?
What is The Grand Slam of Trivia? Games about trivia have become an American pastime. The proof is in the pudding with all the game shows on television, from Jeopardy to the Millionaire to Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader. In the summer of 2007, the GSN network presented a special series – eight episodes – where winners of shows like Jeopardy, Millionaire, Card Sharks, the Weakest Link and Tic Tack Dough competed for prize money of $100,000 and the title “trivia guru.” There were 16 winners participating in one-hour episodes. Two sets of contestants competed in fast and furious trivia rounds comprised of general trivia, math and logic, words and vocabulary and a final round of a mix of all three. Each contestant had one full minute to answer the question – the contestant whose clock ran to zero before he or she answered correctly was the loser. Jennings and Millionaire alumni Ogi Ogas made it to the finals. They were well matched but Jennings took the $100,000 prize. Who Gets on Jeopardy? Thousands of people apply each year to be on the show. To be eligible, regular contestants must be 18 years or older, kids week applicants must be between age 10 and 12; teen applicants must be age 13 through 17 and in high school; and college applicants must be full-time undergraduate students, with no prior degree. Once someone has been on Jeopardy, they cannot apply again. The first step is an online test taken at the Jeopardy Web site during specific testing periods. Adult tests are taken once a year. Future players can also audition in Culver City, Calif., and in other designated parts of the country, once they’ve passed the online test. The audition begins with a timed, written test made up of 50 Jeopardy-like category questions. Those who pass the test move to a round of mock Jeopardy games. The applicants are judged not only on their knowledge but also on their speaking ability, decision-making skills and enthusiasm for the show. Each contestant has a personal interview with the production staff. There is no charge for the auditions, and travel or related expenses are not covered. Another avenue for being on the show is the Brain Bus, a tour bus that travels across the country searching for America’s smartest. The first 1,000 attendees at each Brain Bus event are given a 10-question pre-test. Mock Jeopardy games are then played, and winners even get prizes (no cash). Based on their success with the Brain Bus, the participants could be invited to California to audition for the show. How Trivia Savvy Are You? Be sure to answer in Jeopardy style form: What is? Where is? • The only state to turn down the Olympics • The “Centennial State” • A town in the U.S. that celebrates “Mike the Headless Chicken Day” • The longest continuous street in America • This view inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” • A state with more microbreweries per capita than any other state • The “Pinto Bean” capital of the world (Answers: www.50states.com, click on ‘Facts,’ select Colorado) 
Issue 428
SNIPPETZ GETS THE SKINNY ON FAD DIETS by Deborah Stumpf “The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook” -Julia Child Atkins, South Beach, the Zone, Scarsdale, the Grapefruit Diet … promises, promises, promises. Fad diets – restricting certain foods and/or focusing on certain foods – has been around for centuries. Legend has it that William the Conqueror devised an alcohol-only diet in 1087. He died a year later after falling off his horse. Apparently the diet didn’t work since folks had to painstakingly try to find a casket to fit him. Some Oldies Without Goodies In 1829, Sylvester Graham, a minister, came up with the Graham Diet: caffeine-free drinks and vegetarian foods, supplemented with graham crackers. In 1903, Horace Fletcher, a self-subscribed nutritionist, touted the best weight loss program as chewing one’s food at least 32 times. The Grapefruit Diet came along in the 1920s. Take off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), the first national weight loss program, began in 1948 – and is still strong today. Weight loss programs differ from fad diets in that the catch word here is “sensibly.” In the 1960s, Dr. Herman Taller insisted that his Calories Don’t Count Diet dropped weight in no time – eat all the foods you want, just chase it with vegetable oil. In the 1970s, there was the Last Chance Diet. It was all about fasts and liquid protein drinks. Rumor has it there were 58 deaths linked to this diet or spinoffs of the diet. Every fad diet has a gimmick, whether it promotes a carbohydrate-free regimen or eating biblical foods – the Hallelujah Diet encourages people to only eat foods, such as fruits and nuts, mentioned in Genesis 1.29. The whole diet industry has been “shrouded in myths and fairy tales since time immemorial as people argue over what is good for you,” said British professor Chris Hawkey. Taking The Fat To The Bank…Or That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles What’s good for you is arguable, but inarguable is the fact that the fad diet industry has made billions off those seeking a supposedly sure-fire, quick way to shed pounds. Dr. Sanford Siegel, who has specialty weight-loss clinics in Florida and one in Canada, made $12 million last year pushing his “Cookie Diet,” according to the New York Times. We’re not exactly talking Oreos or Mrs. Fields’ chocolate chip cookies. Siegel’s recipe is made up of oats, rice, whole wheat and bran – and only known to him and his wife. Followers purchase the cookies and lose weight by eating just one meal a day, supplemented with the six cookies throughout the day. Famous songsters Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson have helped secure those millions by endorsing the Cookie Diet. Siegel expects to rake in $18 million in revenues for 2009. The popularity of the Cookie Diet has spawned other cookie diets. Smart for Life sells a 35-day diet kit for $297, including six 105-calorie cookies a day. The Hollywood Cookie Diet consists of four 150-calorie cookies spread throughout each day (and a light dinner) – a box of cookies costs up to $20. Soypal Cookies is a popular Japanese cookie diet – only 22 calories each and $49 a box. Smart for Life anticipates gross revenues of $82 to $95 million this year, up from $30 million in 2008. And the Hollywood Cookie Diet has grown 50 percent since it was cooked up three years ago. In 2005, it was estimated that out of the 55 million Americans who went on a diet program, only 5 to 10 percent succeeded. But the diet industry has added a lot of weight to its bank account. In 2006, revenues were estimated to top $48 billion. Some say that today the industry is worth someone’s weight in gold – at $60 billion. According to TNS Media Intelligence, three of the big hitters in the weight loss industry spent almost a half billion on TV and print advertising in 2008. MOST WHACKY FAD DIETS There are so many fad diets out there, with new ones popping up all the time, that makes counting calories seem like a no-brainer compared to counting fad diets. Some of them are downright ridiculous and hazardous to one’s health. Check out some of these crazy but still popular diet fads. The Cabbage Diet The promise: Lose 7 lbs. in seven days. Cabbage soup is the key to this diet. The recipe includes cabbage and a variety of vegetables flavored with broth, onion soup mix and tomato juice. The soup can be eaten any time, but other foods are restricted through a seven-day plan. For example, day 1 eat only fruit, except a banana. Day 2 is all you want of fresh, raw or cooked veggies. No fruit. On Day 4 one can eat as many as eight bananas (and lose more weight by swinging from tree to tree). And so on. The Lemonade Diet The promise: Lose 8 lbs. in 10 days. This is a simple diet to follow. Just drink lemonade, and eat nothing. But the lemonade is not the tasty, sugary summer thirst quencher we’re used to. The recipe for this lemonade calls for 2 oz. of fresh squeezed lemon, 2 oz. of maple syrup (organic is best), ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper and 2 cups of water. Drink about 160 oz. per day. Yum. Along with the weight loss, you lose all of your energy. But the energy is regained when food is reintroduced. Be prepared to gain back all of the weight once food becomes a regular habit again. But, this “lemon” of a diet is supposed to increase one’s desire for healthy foods. The Russian Air Force Diet Think of a Russian prison. The promise: Follow this one for seven days and lose up to 18 lbs. in 13 days. Never eat more than 800 calories a day. Breakfast is a piece of toast and coffee, except the fifth day they allow 5 oz. of ham and carrots. Lunches and dinners are comprised of red meat, boiled eggs and boiled fish and small servings of vegetables or fruits. Question: How do you follow this one for seven days and lose 18 lbs. in 13 days? The 3-Day Diet The promise: Lose 10 lbs. in three days. This ultimate weight loss, fad diet is based on a combination of foods that are supposed to create a metabolic reaction to boost the fat-burning process. Introduced in 1985, this magical mixture has never been proven scientifically. It’s highly regimented – one morsel of food over the recommended amount and all is lost – or gained. Day 1breakfast consists of black coffee or tea with 1 to 2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal, ½ grapefruit or juice and 1 piece of toast with 1 tbs. of peanut butter. Lunch is ½ cup tuna with toast and more black coffee with Equal. Dinner is 3 oz lean meat or chicken, 1 cup green beans and 1 cup carrots, 1 apple and 1 cup vanilla ice cream. Day 2 breakfast is the same coffee combo, toast, 1 egg and ½ banana. Lunch is 1 cup cottage cheese or tuna and 8 saltine crackers. Dinner: 2 beef franks (high class hot dogs), 1 cup broccoli or cabbage, ½ cup carrots, ½ banana, ½ cup vanilla ice cream. Day 3 is just as boring with a few variations like cheddar cheese and melon. Interspersing the 3-day diet with normal eating routines gets results. Even if it’s candy bars and pecan pie on the fourth day? The Tapeworm Diet The promise: You CAN get rid of the worm, eventually. Did anyone say “eewww-gross?” Basically, the person swallows a cyst, which is removed with medications 10 days later. Until that time, the parasite eats up a portion of the calories consumed. Besides the fact that it’s disgusting, tapeworm sales are banned in the U.S., and hosting a parasite is dangerous to one’s health. If It’s Too Good To Be True… In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission sued Texas-based Mark Nutritionals, a company that created Body Solutions Evening Weight Formula. Using this formula, the company guaranteed weight loss while you sleep, without having to change daytime diet or exercise habits. Mark Nutritionals advertised its product on more than 650 radio stations in 110 U.S. cities, with more than 700 endorsements. For many, the idea of losing weight while sleeping was literally a dream come true. The FTC successfully closed the company’s doors, but not before it made $155 million in the three years they operated. 10 Myths That Fad Diets Promote
The “Do’s and Don’ts” of Healthy Eating
Bottom line for a slimmer bottom: Pushing yourself away from the table – equals exercise and control. Promise! 
Issue 429
SNIPPETZ MEETS UP WITH A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN by Deborah Stumpf "When you are a bear of very little brain, and think of things, you find sometimes that a thing which seemed very thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it." - Winnie the Pooh Like any good and simple story, the tales of “Winnie the Pooh,” first published by A. A. Milne in 1926, remain timeless. The adventures of Winnie the Pooh, aka Pooh Bear, Pooh, Edward Bear, Silly Old Bear or Bear of Very Little Brain – never Winnie – and his multitude of forest friends have been delighting young children (and let’s admit it – adults, too!) through books, film, theatre, television and radio for nearly nine decades. The Walt Disney Company admits that Pooh Bear’s popularity is right up there with the Mouse himself. Most of Pooh and his animal friend’s adventures start with Pooh’s insatiable appetite for honey (“a smackerel of hunny”) brought on by a “rumbly in his tumbly.” From there the story takes off and can often include the only bad guys of the stories – the Heffalumps and Woozles. And when things aren’t going well, “Oh, bother.” Bearly An Inspiration Winnie the Pooh is named after an actual bear who became the mascot of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade during World War I. This female black bear cub was purchased for $20 by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn from a hunter who killed the bear’s mother. Colebourn named the bear Winnie after his home town of Winnipeg. Winnie traveled with the Brigade for awhile, eventually taking up residence at the London Zoo where she was a popular attraction until she died in 1934. Author A. A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin Milne was very fond of Winnie and visited her often at the zoo. Young Milne had a stuffed bear that he named Winnie the Pooh, partly after the real black bear and partly after a swan named Pooh, a character in a poem his father wrote, “When We Were Very Young.” The Characters Except for the only human character in the Pooh stories, Christopher Robin (obviously named after A. A. Milne’s son), the remaining characters are all animals named after Christopher’s stuffed animals. There’s Piglet (Pooh’s best friend); Eeyore (a gloomy goat); Tigger (a very happy bouncy tiger); and Kanga and Roo (kangaroo mother and son). The always wise Owl, and Rabbit who loves to grow vegetables, came to the forest a little later. Location, Location, Location The story takes place in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, which, like the character names, was influenced by an actual place where A. A. Milne and his family owned vacation property near Ashdown Forest in Sussex, England, located about 30 miles south of London. The family spent much time there exploring the forest. The books’ illustrator, E. H. Shepard went so far as to match almost exactly many areas of the real forest in his illustrations. About A. A. Milne A. A. Milne was born in 1882 in England. Although he had a math scholarship to study at Trinity College in Cambridge, he soon became involved in writing for the student magazine which drew the attention of “Punch,” a British humor magazine. He had a military career in the British Army during World War I and was a Captain of the Home Guard during World War II. In between, he worked as an author. His son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920 of which he based his Pooh Bear stories on. Though most famous for his Winnie the Pooh books, Milne was a prolific author, penning more than eighteen plays, three novels (not children’s books), numerous short stories, essays and poems. His children’s books were so successful, however, that his other writings were overshadowed by them, an occurrence that displeased Milne immensely. He died in 1956, living to the age of nearly 74. Big Bear Bucks It’s no surprise that Winnie the Pooh has brought in megabucks for Disney and prior owners. The character of Edward Bear first appeared in a poem in Milne’s book “When We Were Very Young” in 1924. A Christmas story about the bear and his friends was commissioned by London’s newspaper, “The Evening News” and was printed on Christmas Eve 1925. This printing became the first chapter of the book, “Winnie-the-Pooh,” published by Metheun in England in 1926, and E. P. Dutton in the United States. It was Stephen Slesinger who purchased the Canadian and United States merchandising rights from Milne in 1930 and in a mere year’s time parlayed his investment into a $50 million annual business. The price he paid: $1,000 advance and 66 percent of income. Slesinger enjoyed more than 30 years of great success while marketing Pooh products that included games and puzzles, a radio show, a film, a doll, record and a board game. Slesinger died in 1953 and his wife, Shirley Slesinger Lasswell, carried on the business until she sold the licensing rights to Walt Disney Productions in 1961. Daphne Milne sold some of her rights to Disney at the same time. Since then, Disney continues to enjoy financial success in its partnership with the bear with films, a television series and featurettes. Pooh also appears as a regular in Disney theme parks along with Mickey Mouse and all of his other Disney ‘associates.’ Pooh the Philosopher Surprisingly, the Bear of Little Brain turned out to be quite a wise bear. A collection of Poohisms is provided in “Pooh’s Little Instruction Book,” published in 1995 as well as the original books of “Winnie the Pooh” and “The House at Pooh Corner:”
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