TIDBITS® SAYS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONOVEMBER BABIES

by Kathy WolfeHere’s a little research from Tidbits on all these folks, past and present, who claim November as their birth month. • Probably best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Ste-

vens on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anato-my,” actress Katherine Heigl got her start as a child model posing for the Sears catalog. She moved on from this $75-per-hour job to her first commercial, a TV spot for Cheerios. Although she has recently starred in several movie blockbusters, she also has the honor of having starred in the lowest-earning movie in recorded history, 2006’s “Zyzzyx Road,” which grossed $30 at the box office.

• The parents of Condoleezza Rice took her name from an Italian music-related term con dolcezza, which translates “with sweetness.” The life of this 66th U.S. Secretary of State was filled with mu-sic from the age of three, when she began music, figure skating, French and ballet lessons. At 15, it was her goal to become a concert pianist. Switch-ing her college major to political science set the stage for many of her achievements. However, she has never abandoned her music, still practicing ev-ery day, and she even accompanied the celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Constitution Hall at a National Medal of Arts Awards recital.

• Most folks have heard of the Hubble Space Tele-scope, an instrument carried into orbit by a 1990 space shuttle mission. But most don’t know that it was named for the American astronomer Edwin Hubble, the first to confirm the existence of gal-axies other than our own Milky Way, a discovery made in 1923. A Rhodes Scholar, he studied law and set up a legal practice before realizing that his passion was astronomy.

• Bo Jackson achieved fame as the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major sports, baseball and football. His birth name was Vincent Edward Jackson, after his mother’s favorite television star, Vince Edwards of “Ben Casey” fame. Jackson achieved his nickname when his family described him as a “wild boar hog” constantly getting into trouble. He signed with baseball’s Kansas City Royals as a left fielder in 1986 and started play-

Week of November 28, 2011 Vol. 1, Issue 41

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1. What was on the B-side of the Beatles’ “Please Please Me” single when it was released in 1963? How about in 1964?2. Which group is best known for “Jailbreak” and “Whiskey in the

Jar”? Where are they from?3. Who had hits with “Only You (and You Alone)” and “The Great Pretender.” What years?4. Name the group that had No. 1 R&B hits with “Get Ready” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”5. Who was the first band to be censored on Ameri-can Bandstand?6. Which band had a hit with “Magic Carpet Ride”?

Answers1. “Ask Me Why” was the B-side, and “From Me to You” was the B-side a year later. The second version made it to the Hot 100.2. Thin Lizzy, from Dublin, Ireland.3. The Platters, both in 1955. Both songs went to No. 1 on the R&B chart.4. The Temptations. Both songs went to the top of the charts in 1966.5. The Beastie Boys, in 1989. Legend has it that they also got banned from a famous hotel chain for cutting a hole in the floor from one suite to another below.6. Steppenwolf, in 1968. The group never had a No. 1 hit, although “Carpet” came close at No. 3.

Salisbury SteaksThere’s not a man around who doesn’t love the taste of Salisbury steak. There’s something in the sauce that’s more powerful than all the perfume Paris can make! Serve this to your man and see if he doesn’t agree.

16 ounces extra-lean ground sirloin or turkey breast3/4 cup finely chopped onion21 small fat-free saltine crackers, made into fine crumbs1/3 cup reduced-sodium ketchup1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes1/8 teaspoon black pepper1 (12-ounce) jar fat-free beef gravy1 (2-ounce) jar chopped pimiento, undrained

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-by-12-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray.2. In a large bowl, combine meat, onion, cracker crumbs, ketchup, parsley flakes and black pepper. Mix well to combine. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup as a guide, form into 6 patties.3. Place patties in a large skillet sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray and brown for about 3 minutes on each side. Place browned patties in prepared baking dish.4. In a small bowl, combine gravy and undrained pi-miento. Evenly spoon gravy mixture over patties. Cov-er and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. When serving, evenly spoon gravy over patties. Serves 6.

? Each serving equals: 178 calories, 6g fat, 16g pro-tein, 15g carb., 631mg sodium, 1gm fiber; Diabetic Ex-changes: 2 Meat, 1 Starch/Carb.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULThanksgiving with the Forrest-ers was anything but boring. Thorne arrived with Taylor as his date. Steffy was determined to show Hope how happy she

and Liam were together. Pam accused Stephanie of wrecking her life. Jackie was inspired by a speech Sally Spectra once made and resolved to carry on her legacy. Brooke and Taylor saw themselves in their daughters as they watched the next generation of women fight over the same man. Tensions rose between Rick and Thomas. Wait to See: Nick is intrigued by a newly single woman.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESUnaware that Johnny was alive, Sami and EJ tried to overcome their grief by making love. Later, Sami was overjoyed to see Johnny, but felt immediate regret over what she did with EJ. Madison pulled away as things heated up between her and Brady. Nicole told EJ that she was finally ready to commit to him. Jack admitted to Jennifer that he needed professional help. Marlena was devastated by the harsh sentence given to John for his crimes. Stefano advised Hope to let Alice’s secret stay buried. Jack announced that he was staying in Salem. Wait to See: Hope discovers a link between Alice and EJ.

GENERAL HOSPITALMonica invited Jason and Sam to spend Thanksgiving at the mansion. Matt and Maxie got close while trying on outfits for the magazine shoot. Dante confronted Kate about the shooting at the warehouse. Delores and Johnny found themselves oddly attracted to one anoth-er. Dante and Lulu reaffirmed their love. Anthony made a pass at Tracy. Lucky wondered if Luke was drinking again. Shawn made Carly a homemade Thanksgiving meal. Jason lost his composure at the Quartermaines. Sonny found Kate’s hotel room empty. Franco had something in store for Josslyn. Wait to See: Sonny and Kate return to their roots.

ONE LIFE TO LIVEBrody came to his senses and allowed John to step in as Liam’s father. Cutter was furious to see Alex Olanov in Rio. Rex realized that someone else was posing as Gigi. As soon as she took office, Mayor Finn promptly fired Bo. Starr was furious that Rick started the rumor that she and Nate were a hot item. Roxy brought Shane to visit Brody on Thanksgiving to cheer him up. John and Natalie surprised everyone by arriving with Liam for dinner. Wait to See: An unlikely duo share a kiss. THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSKevin confessed to Chloe that it was Billy who gave Delia the life-saving bone marrow transplant, not him. Meanwhile, Billy and Victoria were reunited in a hotel room in New York, where Victoria learned the full ex-tent of her father’s manipulations. After thinking it over, Sofia said yes to Neil’s marriage proposal. Myrna tried to blackmail Adam into helping her win back Jack. Vic-

toria washed her hands of Vic-tor and resigned from the com-pany. Nikki came home for the holidays. Wait to See: Tucker’s therapist causes trouble in his marriage.

PHOTO: Kristen Alderson is “Starr” on “One Life to Live”

ing for football’s Los Angeles Raiders as a running back the following year.

• Goldie Hawn has a distinguished ancestor, Edward Rutledge, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. This famous blonde actress is also an accomplished ballet dancer, having begun les-sons at age three. At 11, she debuted in “The Nut-cracker,” earning $1.50.

• The only child of famous automaker Henry Ford was born in November 1893. Edsel Ford grew up to marry into the Hudson’s department store fam-ily and founded Ford’s Mercury division. He also brought us the Lincoln Zephyr and Lincoln Con-tinental. Fourteen years after Edsel’s early death from stomach cancer at age 49, the Ford Motor Company introduced its new brand of cars named after him. Unfortunately, the Edsel was considered a commercial failure and was discontinued after the 1960 models.

• If you’ve seen any James Bond movies, you’ve heard the musical work of composer John Barry, who wrote the soundtracks for 11 of the films. The winner of five Academy Awards and four Gram-mys, he also composed the music for “Out of Af-rica” and “Dances with Wolves.”

• That bump on November baby Owen Wilson’s nose is the result of having his nose broken twice, once in a high school fracas, the other in a friendly football game. Wilson is no stranger to mischief, having been expelled from high school as a sopho-more for cheating on his geometry test. He spent his junior and senior years in military school.

• Back in 1930, 18-year-old Leonard Slye packed up his belongings and moved to California, hop-ing to make it big as a singer. He played in several groups over the next few years — The Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws —before forming Sons of the Pioneers in 1934. The following year, he appeared in the first of his 100 movies. Along the way came a name change to Roy Rogers. He acquired his golden palomino Trigger in 1938 and was seen astride that horse in every single movie and television episode. (Trig-ger died at the ripe old age of 33 in 1965.) At the height of his career, Roy Rogers received more than 75,000 fan letters a month.

• Back in 1968, clothing designer Calvin Klein, armed with $10,000, started out with just a coat shop in the York Hotel in New York City. Gradual-ly expanding over the next several years, he added the original designer jeans in 1974, using Brooke Shields as a model. He sold $200,000 worth during the first week after their introduction.

• Baby boomers will recall the daily farewell mes-sage, “And that’s the way it is,” given by CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite as he wrapped up the television evening news. He started his broadcast-ing career on radio in 1937 and brought bulletins on World War II bombings and the Nuremberg trials. During his 19 years on the evening news, Cronkite reported the momentous events of Amer-icans’ lives, including the death of Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the Iran hostage crisis and most notably, his emo-tional and tearful delivery of the news of the assas-sination of John F. Kennedy. He was the source for the news of the U.S. space program. Opinion polls named him “the most trusted man in America.”

• It should come as no surprise that movie hunk Mat-thew McConaughey was listed in his Longview, Texas, yearbook as “most handsome.” He spent one year of high school as an exchange student in New South Wales, Australia.

• The world’s first set of septuplets to survive in-fancy, Iowa’s McCaughey children, turn 14 this month. Born nine weeks early, the three girls and four boys consumed 42 bottles and required 52 di-apers daily during their first several months. These days the family goes through seven dozen eggs and five gallons of milk every week.

• Talent seems to run in the family of Kevin Eu-banks, former leader of the “Tonight Show” band. A classical pianist/organist mother and jazz pianist uncle no doubt contributed to Eubanks’ prowess, as well as two musical brothers, one a trombon-ist, the other a trumpeter. Eubanks is more than the jazz guitarist we see — He also plays trumpet and violin and has composed the scores for four feature films.

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1. MUSIC: Where would one find a coda to a piece of music?2. LANGUAGE: What is a “beau geste”?3. INVENTIONS: When was the first patent issued for the modern zipper?4. ANATOMY: What organ in the human body produces in-sulin?5. MEASUREMENTS: What was the sextant once used for?6. HISTORY: Who founded the colony of Rhode Island?7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the famous Watergate building?8. FAMOUS PEOPLE: How did Andrew Carnegie make his fortune?9. REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES: What did American patriot Paul Revere do for a living?10. BIBLE: Where did Cain go to live after slaying Abel?

Answers 1. The end 2. Noble gesture 3. 1917 4. Pancreas 5. Navigation. The instrument measures the angles between visible objects. 6. Roger Williams 7. Washington, D.C. 8. Steel industry9. He was an accomplished silversmith 10. The land of Nod

Q: I loved seeing a different side of Bill Pullman in “Torchwood: Miracle Day.” Where else can I see him? -- Betty T., via

e-mailA: Bill is headlining TNT’s Mystery Movie Night by starring in “Scott Turow’s Innocent,” which is the sequel to “Presumed Innocent,” picking up the lives of Rusty and Barbra Sabich two decades later. The movie opens with Rusty being accused of murdering his wife, mirroring the accusation he was cleared of years before with his mistress.You can catch your favorite stars this winter in crime-novel adaptations of books by authors like Scott Turow, Mary Higgins Clark, Sandra Brown and more. While Bill himself is not a big television watcher, he loves the artistic opportunities it presents to actor and viewers, telling me: “I like the image of people on their sofas on a winter night just getting down with a good, compelling thriller. Makes me want to watch

more television.” Check your local listings for the date and time of each movie’s airing during TNT’s Mystery Movie Night series. And stop by celebrityextraonline.com for my entire interview with Bill.***Q: What is the lovely Annabeth Gish up to lately? I loved her on “The X-Files.” -- Gabrielle V., Portland, Ore.A: Annabeth is starring alongside Pierce Brosnan in A&E’s miniseries “Bag of Bones,” which is based on the Stephen King novel. In the miniseries, best-selling novelist Mike Noonan (Pierce) can’t stop grieving after the death of his wife, Jo (Annabeth). A dream inspires him to return to the couple’s lakeside retreat in western Maine. Of course, mysterious things are going to happen. Go to celebrityextraonline.com to read my full interview with Annabeth about her role in this series, which premieres Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.***Q: I was reading that Universal is going to pull the “Harry Potter” movies from the shelves soon. Is this true? -- Andrew R., via e-mailA: On Dec. 29, Universal is indeed pulling “Harry Potter” movies from the shelves -- right after the Christmas rush --

and offer them only on a sporadic basis, like Disney has done with its animated classics. If you can, I’d hold off on buying the eight-disc boxed set featuring years one through seven. It contains only the movie discs with no special features or extras. At the end of 2012, Universal plans to release a more comprehensive boxed set of all eight movies, with the extras and special treats we’ve all been waiting for.***Q: I loved Sheldon’s “Soft Kitty Song” on “The Big Bang Theory.” My roommate told me I can buy the Soft Kitty stuffed animal. Please tell me this is true! -- Paula F., Youngstown, OhioA: Just in time for Christmas, Stylin Online is offering the official Soft Kitty cat and T-shirt for all you “Big Bang” fans. The stuffed cat will sing you the “Soft Kitty Song” from the show, and it’s available at StylinOnline.com

PHOTO: Annabeth Gish

HOLLYWOOD -- Bradley Cooper’s breakout films were “The Hangover” and “The Hangover, Part 2.” He’s been shooting films non-stop ever since. In June, he shot “The Words” in Mon-treal with Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana,

Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes and Dennis Quaid. It’s due out in 2013. Then he went right into “The Place Beyond the Pines,” with Ryan Gosling, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes and Bruce Greenwood, also out in 2013. He’s currently in Darby, Pa., shooting “The Silver Lining Playbook,” with Robert De-Niro and Julia Stiles. Cooper plays a former teacher, released from a mental institution after four years, who moves in with his mother in hopes of getting his ex-wife back. It too, will be out in 2013.Cooper is preparing for what could be the most demanding role of his career, as Lucifer in the film adaption of John Mil-ton’s epic “Paradise Lost.” Casey Affleck plays the angel Ga-briel, with “Blood Diamond’s” Djimon Hounsou as the Angel of Death. It tells of the battle between two archangels when Lucifer is banished and takes on the forces of heaven. This could be one of the greatest battles between good and evil ever filmed.***Michelle Williams is already getting an Oscar buzz for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.” In 1956, MM formed Marilyn Monroe Productions and, intent on proving she could really act, hired one of the greatest ac-tors of her time, Laurence Olivier, to direct and star opposite her in “The Prince and the Showgirl.” She arrived in London with Arthur Miller, her husband of two weeks, who would lat-er write the screenplay for her last film, “The Misfits.” Olivier sought advice from Joshua Logan, who had directed MM in “Bus Stop.” Logan advised him not to criticize or yell at her, or she would become too insecure to work.Olivier, however, repeatedly lost his temper and couldn’t di-rect her effectively. In true Hollywood fashion, for her, she started showing up late or not at all. She’d hired him thinking they’d become best friends and he’d get a great performance out of her. When he ignored her socially, she attached herself to a production assistant, Colin Clark, who wrote the book “My Week With Marilyn.”The biggest award Monroe ever won was a Golden Globe for “Some Like it Hot.” If Michelle Williams gets an Oscar nom, she’ll get it for playing MM, who never got it for playing her-self! She should have known she couldn’t be best friends with any man, because, after all, she’s the one who said, “DIA-MONDS are a girl’s best friend.”

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Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart will fight to the finish for the Sprint Cup title in the final race at Homestead. (Getty Images for NASCAR photo)

One More ... With Feeling

The Sprint Cup championship is now down to two drivers who could scarcely be more dissimi-lar or evenly matched.Carl Edwards’ forte is consis-

tency. He has won only one race but been atop the Sprint Cup points after 21 of the 35 races to date. In the Chase, which nar-rows the field to 12 and determines the champion, Edwards’ average finish is 5.22. He leads Tony Stewart by three points entering the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Edwards, 31, has never won a championship at NASCAR’s pre-mier level.Stewart, 40, has won two. He is the only driver to win a cham-pionship before (2002) and after (2005) the Chase format was implemented. He once won three races in a Chase (2006) for which he hadn’t qualified, and he is the only driver (2005) to win a Chase without winning any of the races in it, a distinc-tion that Edwards could share if he captures the championship without winning the Ford 400. Stewart, from Columbus, Ind., was the last champion (2002) to drive a Pontiac, and during his career, he has divided his 43 victories among Pontiacs, Toyotas and Chevys.Edwards, from Columbia, Mo., has never driven any make but a Ford. Stewart has never driven a Ford in NASCAR.With one race to go, the gamesmanship has subsided. It appears that neither contender is going to succeed at getting under the other’s skin.

“Well,” Stewart said, “it’s fun. He’s (Edwards) keeping me honest. I’m keeping him honest. It’s fun when we’re first and second in the points and we’re running first and second on the race track. It shows why we’re both in this position.”“When it comes down to it,” Edwards added, “both of us know we have to just go race each other. It is truly neat. ... It is fun. I’m just enjoying it. It really, truly doesn’t matter what anyone says or what anyone’s predictions are. It gets done on the race track, and that is when we will see.”

To have your local event featured here, email your information to tidbitsofmobile@gmail.com.All submissions may not be run due to time and space limitations.

Magic Christmas in LightsNovember 25 thru December 31Bellingrath Gardens and Home

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An Elegant Victorian ChristmasSaturday, Dec. 3rd 10am-5pm

Sunday, Dec 4th 1pm-5pmRichards DAR Huse Museum, Mobile

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PapercutsThrough December 17th

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Pet Of The WeekMy name isSarge. I am abig beautifulgrey kitty. I likesome kittiesbut not all. Iam the domi-nate kitty in thebatch. I love tobe petted andscratchedunder the chin.

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Can Cats Overdose on Catnip?

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Is it possible to give too much catnip to a cat? And, is dried catnip as potent as fresh? -- Gina in Flint, Mich.

DEAR GINA: I’ve seen cats react to catnip in a variety of different ways -- from tearing around the house to lounging

draped across furniture -- but have not read of a cat actually “overdosing” on the herb.Nepetalactone is the chemical that produces a cat’s distinct reaction to catnip. It’s released when the plant is bruised, which is why you’ll often see a cat rubbing against and biting fresh catnip. According to various sources, the cat’s “high” is produced when it sniffs the bruised leaves or stems; eating catnip produces a sedative effect. Cats generally lose interest in catnip once they’ve had enough.As to whether fresh or dried catnip is better, or equally potent, dried catnip can be just as effective, although like any dried herb, the age of the catnip and how it has been stored can affect its potency. That’s one reason to look carefully at brands of dried catnip or catnip-impregnated toys before purchasing.Pet owners can grow their own catnip on the windowsill, in full sun (out of reach of the cat until it’s strong enough to put up with a cat’s devoted attention) and either present it fresh to the cat or trim the mature plant and hang it upside down to dry.Finally, what to do if you place catnip in front of your pet and it shows no interest? Walk away for a while -- it will either get interested eventually or not, but most cats can’t be forced to ingest or play with catnip.

Holiday Glitz Shopping SpreeSaturday, December 3, 2011 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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• On Dec. 7, 1787, in Dover, Del., the U.S. Constitution is unani-mously ratified by all 30 delegates to the Delaware Constitutional Convention, making Delaware the first state of the modern United States. Government under the U.S. Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789.

• On Dec. 10, 1901, the first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel. Al-though Nobel offered no public reason for his creation of the prizes, it is believed that he did so out of moral regret over the lethal uses of his invention of dynamite and other explosives.

• On Dec. 11, 1936, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. The British government, public and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. Edward claimed it was impossible to discharge his duties without the woman he loved.

• On Dec. 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a three-hour training flight. They never returned, and no trace of the bodies or aircraft was ever found. The story helped cement the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, an area of the Atlantic Ocean where ships and aircraft are said to disappear without a trace.

• On Dec. 8, 1969, at a news conference, President Richard Nixon says that the Vietnam War is coming to an end. His pronouncements proved premature. In April 1970, he expanded the war by ordering attacks on communist sanctuaries in Cambodia.

• On Dec. 6, 1976, deaf professional stuntwoman Kitty O’Neil sets the land-speed record for female drivers at the Alvord Desert in southeastern Oregon, averaging more than 512 mph.

• On Dec. 9, 1983, “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino as a Cuban refugee who becomes a Miami drug lord, opens in theaters. The film, written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian De Palma, initially received unfavorable reviews but is now considered a classic.

Bake and Share Holiday Cookies

It was somewhere between a Norman Rockwell painting and a Hallmark Moment. Our extended family had just gathered for Christmas last year at our cozy cabin nestled in Northern California’s coastal redwood forest. The kids were busy chop-ping wood in the misty, foggy air, and my husband was stoking the fire in the sturdy Norwegian stove, while I arranged fresh pine and eucalyptus down the center of our family’s century-old dining-room table.

Then, just as Grandma Dolly cracked the last egg for her traditional Swedish rice pudding, we heard a knock at the front door. Beaming from ear to ear, our friend from down the road stepped inside to present us with a delectable plate of his mom’s homemade treats. From crunchy peanut brittle to light coconut meringue, the gift assortment was the exclamation point to a perfect afternoon.Mixed with family tradition, culinary talent and enough sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth, cookie and candy recipes reign at holiday gatherings. Some of our best family memories are built around mounds of cookie dough, colored frosting and candy sprinkles strewn all over the counter and kitchen floor! Here are some fresh ideas and hints for this year’s family memory-making and baking: --Start with a standard sugar-cookie recipe with your school-age kids. Let them practice their math and reading skills as you show them basic measuring techniques. --Once baked and cooled, make frosting in several colors for decorating cookies. Spoon each color into a separate zipper-style plastic bag. Close and twist like a pastry bag, pushing the frosting to a bottom corner of the bag. Snip the corner with scissors to allow the frosting to flow. Raisins, nuts, coconut and colored sugars make tempting additions to your cookie art.--Hang decorated sugar cookies on branches of mini Christmas trees for holiday guests to take home. Before baking, make a hole with a drinking straw at the top of each cookie. Squeeze frosting to write on the names of guests. Thread ribbon through the holes, and hang the cookies. --For iPad users, tech-savvy families will be inspired to try new recipes using the fun, just released “Martha Stewart Makes Cookies” app created in partnership with Callaway Digital Arts and MSLO. The inspiring “Cookie Runway” is a real hit with kids when they swipe across the screen through the 50 plus recipes. The innovative roulette-wheel recipe finder lets them pick their favorite type and flavor. I like the practical shopping lists I’ve sent to my iPhone, the nifty timer and the how-to videos. Preview the app at www.marthastewart.com/cookie-recipes-app.

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BOARD GAME BITSAlthough video games increase in popularity on a daily basis, there’s nothing like a good old board game! Check out the origins of some of these longtime favorites. • If you’re familiar with the names of Mrs. Peacock,

Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard, you’ve played Clue. This murder mystery game was invented in England in 1944 by a solicitor’s clerk who thought it would be a good way to pass the time while sitting in underground bunkers during World War II air raid drills. It was originally called “Murder!” The players move throughout nine rooms of a mansion seeking clues as to which character committed the crime and which weapon — rope, revolver, wrench, candlestick, knife or lead pipe — was used.

• Two Canadian journalists conceived the idea of the popular game Trivial Pursuit, commercially released in 1981. An 18-year-old artist created the final artwork for the game. In 1984 alone, more than 20 million games were sold.

• It’s not surprising that the best-selling board game in the world is the game of Monopoly, with more than 200 million games sold. It’s estimated that 500 million people have played the game since its release during the Great Depression. It’s sold in 103 countries and in 37 languages. In the English version, the highest rent property is “Boardwalk,” but if you live in Spain, it’s Paseo del Pradeo named after a Barcelona street, and in France, it’s Rue de la Paix. During the game’s history, it’s been more than just a source of entertainment. During World War II, Monopoly games containing escape maps, compasses and files were smuggled to prisoners in German POW camps. Real money was even hidden inside packs of the play money to aid in prisoners’ escapes.

• A serious illness was the catalyst for the creation of one of the most popular children’s games, Candy Land. Eleanor Abbott was recovering from polio in 1945 and wanted to create something to entertain children afflicted with the disease. She devised a race to find the lost King of Candy Land covering 134 winding colored squares, so that no reading skills were required. Characters encountered along the route included Queen Frostine, Gramma Nutt and Lord Licorice, as players made their way through the Candy Cane Forest and Gum Drop Mountain. The first games sold for a dollar. There have been more than 40 million Candy Land games sold since.

• Chutes & Ladders was created to teach children good morals — Good deeds are rewarded with a trip up the ladder, while bad conduct results in a slide down. Originally called Snakes & Ladders, its origins are in India, with slithering serpents as the consequences of bad choices. Milton Bradley brought it to America in 1943 and changed the name and format.

• In 1964, to coincide with the Beatles’ arrival in America, Milton Bradley released its “Beatles’ Flip Your Wig” game, with a price tag of $2.98. There were four playing pieces, one of each Beatle, and players had to move around the board collecting four cards for their band member — a picture card, a signature card, an instrument card and a hit record card. Today, if you happen to have a mint condition copy of the game, it’s worth upwards of $300.

• Chinese checkers have nothing to do with China — The game was invented in Germany in 1892. The hexagram-shaped game came to the United States in 1928 marketed under the name of Hop Ching Checkers.

Prostate Blood Test Far From Perfect

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had my annual PSA test, and it came back 3.5 ng/ml. My doctor said anything below 4 is good.My past scores have never ex-

ceeded 0.5. I am concerned with the rate of increase from last year. Need I be? Should I get checked in six months to ease my mind? -- B.B.

ANSWER: PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is a blood test used for the detection of prostate cancer. It’s far from being a perfect test, but it is the only one we have. Not only is the test imper-fect, but experts disagree on how the test numbers should be interpreted.Many insist that a man’s age should define what the normal range for it is. The younger the man, the lower should be the acceptable PSA.Results from large studies yield conflicting information. One study suggests that a PSA of 2.5 ng/ml ought to prompt ad-ditional testing, such as a prostate biopsy. Another large study uses 4 as the cutoff for ordering more investigation. And a third sets the upper limit of normal at 3.5.PSA velocity is another factor that enters into interpreting the test. If the PSA value increases in one year by 0.75 or more, then the possibility of cancer exists and further testing is sug-gested -- a biopsy. Your value increased many times that num-ber. I believe you need to have that checked out soon. In fact,

if a man has a PSA value of less than 4 on previous tests, and his PSA has increased by 0.35 in one year, that man should be advised to have a biopsy.The booklet on prostate enlargement and prostate cancer digs more deeply into these subjects. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 1001W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and ad-dress. Please allow four weeks for delivery.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son had surgery for diverticulitis and was discharged from the hospital two days later. He had to return to the hospital because of terrible stomach pain. The doctor did a second surgery and submitted material to the lab. The report came back that he had C. diff. I would appreciate so much any information on this. -- M.M.

ANSWER: C. difficile (diff-uh-SEAL) is a bacterium. It can be acquired anywhere, but most often in the hospital. In the diges-tive tract, it is a distinct minority. However, antibiotics can kill off the normal bacteria in the tract and the C. difficile bacterium then experiences explosive growth. That can cause minor intes-tinal problems to major intestinal catastrophes with voluminous diarrhea and fierce pain. All of this is due to toxins (poisons) produced by this germ.Stopping antibiotics is the first line of treatment. If that doesn’t bring relief, then the antibiotic metronidazole often cures pa-tients. Should metronidazole fail, the antibiotic vancomycin is a trusted standby. Sometimes attempts to re-establish a normal bacterial population for the colon are successful in ending the problem.

A Safe Family Online NetworkIf the possibility of having your information compromised online on Facebook or Myspace scares you, you’re not alone.But if you want a place to keep in touch with friends and relatives, what do you do? Send-ing individual emails has its limitations -- several people can’t talk to each other at the same time. Sharing pictures of your grandchildren online is risky -- very -- because you don’t know where those photos will end up. If there’s a family event, you end up sending multiple emails

to everyone.Enter Chattertree, an online site that appears to be very safe and private. Instead of being a social online network, it’s a family and friends network.On Chattertree you can: --Create private family or friends “rooms,” even multiple rooms, perhaps one for family and one for friends.--Track dates with the calendar.--Be alerted quickly to important family events.--Upload photos and videos, and either share them with your whole family or just certain people.--Chat with individuals in your family and friends list, or as a whole group.--Have a video chat with six of your friends or family members. (The next time one of your children wants to buy you a video camera, say yes!) Best of all, those steps are detailed in how-to videos you can watch.Chatterbox has been certified as a TRUSTe Kid Privacy site, which means it’s a safe online environment for your grandchildren.Amazingly enough, Chattertree is free. Go to www.chattertree.com and look around.

Page 8 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116

¥ It was celebrated Irish playwright George Bernard

Shaw who made the following sage observation: “The li-

ar’s punishment is not in the least that he is not believed,

but that he cannot believe anyone else.”

¥ Virginia law prohibits anyone over the age of 15 from

wearing a mask in public, unless it’s part of a traditional

holiday costume, for work or for medical reasons.

¥ You might be surprised to learn that there are people

who study how air quality, humidity, the hardness of

the water and pollution affect people’s hair. According

to these researchers, the worst American cities for your

tresses are Corpus Christi, Texas; Olympia, Wash.; and

Pittsburgh.

¥ In a survey conducted by the Roper Center for Public

Opinion Research, it was found that two-thirds of Ameri-

cans believe they are smarter than the average American.

¥ If you happen to be traveling in India and are passing

through the town of Deshnoke, you might want to check

out the Karni Mata temple -- but not if you have an aver-

sion to rodents: Karni Mata is the rat goddess. Visitors

can dine at the temple, but they have to watch out for the

more than 20,000 rats mingling with the guests. Don’t

worry, though; if a rat runs across your feet, it’s consid-

ered to be good luck.

¥ Ever wonder what the world’s deadliest animal is? It’s

the lowly mosquito. Thanks to the diseases it spreads, it

kills more humans than any other animal on the planet.

¥ In 2004, a record was set for the world’s farthest pizza

delivery when a Domino’s Pizza in London delivered a

vegetarian supreme pizza to Melbourne, Australia -- a

distance of 10,532 miles. The world record challenge was

conducted as a fundraising event and brought in nearly

$50,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

***

Thought for the Day: “Nothing is impossible for the man

who doesn’t have to do it himself.” -- A.H. Weiler