TIDBITS® UNCOVERS AMERICANS’ ADVENTURES

by Blue SullivanThe history of America is rife with rugged men and women who have explored and tested landscapes all over the world. Here are some of their stories. • Climber Cory Richards was the first American to scale

an over-26,000-foot (8,000-m) mountain in winter. Along with partners from Italy and Kazakhstan, Rich-ards climbed the Gasherbrum II in Pakistan.

• Richards and his two partners faced hurricane-force winds and temperatures 50 degrees below zero. They performed this amazing feat without guides or supple-mental oxygen.

• The three men were aware of the perils they faced be-fore beginning the journey. They were told that snow conditions would be unstable, but they couldn’t have foreseen the Class 4 avalanche that nearly killed them.

• It was Simone Moro, the veteran climber from Italy, who first freed himself, then helped the other two men dig out of the massive wall of ice.

• Richards documented much of the incident with a small, high-definition camera. Immediately after being freed, he documented his own reaction, a combination of relief and terror.

• The footage that Richards took was used in a nature documentary called “Cold.” The film chronicles their journey, the first successful attempt to climb the Paki-stani peak during winter by anyone. The film played at a number of film festivals in 2011 and is being distrib-uted by Forge Motion Pictures.

• Many runners have attempted to beat the time record for completing the entire Appalachian Trail. Observers were surprised to discover that the record had been broken by a female, Pharr Davis.

• Davis bested a record held by men for more than 40 years. Davis isn’t, by her own description, even a run-ner. She has always trained as a long-distance hiker, and her training to beat the record was the same.

• Davis completed the trail’s 2,181 miles more than 26 hours faster than the former record holder. The pop-ular assumption before her attempt was that only a faster runner could beat the record, but Davis bucked the conventional wisdom. She began each day before 5 a.m., hiking for 16 hours a day and sleeping directly on the trail.

Week of June 4, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 16

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1. Which British singer released “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” “You’re My World” and “Alfie” in the mid-1960s?2. Which band is best known for “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not

Gonna Take It”?3. Who was responsible for “Disco Duck”?4. Which group wrote and released “Do the Fred-die,” and when?5. Name the singer-songwriter behind “All By My-self” and “Hungry Eyes.”6. Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Diana Ross and Kim Carnes all came together with dozens of others for one charity effort in 1985. What was it?

Answers1. Cilla Black (born Priscilla White). Black was a favorite of Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, and covered a number of their early songs.2. Twisted Sister, in 1984. The group was originally called Silver Star.3. “Disco Duck” was satire, written in 1976 by a Memphis DJ as a takeoff on a 1960 song called “The Duck.” 4. Freddie and the Dreamers, 1965. Their album of the same name included a chart with diagrams to dance the Freddie.5. Eric Carmen, in 1975 and 1987. Carmen’s big successes came when he went solo after leaving the Raspberries. “Hungry Eyes” was featured in the film “Dirty Dancing.”6. USA for Africa, in 1985. They all recorded “We Are the World.”

Banana-Raspberry Custard Treats

Did you know that the botanical name for bananas is Musa sa-pientum, which means fruit of the wise men? If you’re a wise person, you’ll stir up this tasty, healthy and easy recipe featur-ing bananas, which are loaded with potassium and vitamin C.

1 cup (one medium) diced banana1 1/2 cups fresh red raspberries1 (4-serving) package sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pud-ding mix2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder1 2/3 cups water1 teaspoon coconut extract1/4 cup reduced-calorie whipped topping4 teaspoons flaked coconut

1. In a medium bowl, combine diced banana and raspberries. Evenly spoon fruit into 4 parfait or dessert dishes.2. In a medium saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and water. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut extract. Spoon hot pudding mix evenly over fruit.3. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped topping and garnish with 1 teaspoon coconut flakes. Serves 4.

„ Each serving equals: 137 calories, 1g fat, 5g protein, 27g carb., 181mg sodium, 3g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fruit, 1/2 Skim Milk, 1/2 Starch.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULDeacon reluctantly agreed to Bill’s offer to mess up Hope’s life. Meanwhile, Brooke tried in vain to keep Hope from con-

tacting her father (Deacon). Alison was forced to lie for Bill after Katie became suspicious of his whereabouts. Marcus confronted Justin about the conversation he overheard between Justin and Bill. Karen turned to Bill for a personal favor. Hope was grateful to Eric for step-ping in for Ridge on her wedding day. Liam and Steffy reminisced about marriage as their divorce became finalized. Hope admitted to Eric that she wished her biological father could walk her down the aisle. Wait to See: Steffy made Liam’s decision for him. Bill has another trick up his sleeve.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESDaniel caught Nicole trying to switch the labels on Rafe and EJ’s DNA tests. A desperate Will bought a gun after EJ fired him. Sami vented to Rafe about her broken re-lationship with her son. Lexie overheard Stefano admit that he was partly responsible for her illness. EJ pulled a gun on Stefano and vowed to protect Lexie’s family from the DiMera curse. Roman warned his family not to take the law into their own hands when it came to Ste-fano. Gabi hired someone to be her stalker so that Chad would believe her. Daniel and Nicole shared a surprise kiss after they found they had a lot in common. Wait to See: Lucas takes Will’s gun. Kate is banned from Titan.

GENERAL HOSPITALJason turned to Elizabeth during an emotional moment. Alexis and Sonny were horrified by Kristina’s school project. Maxie threw a wrench into the prosecution’s case against Matt. Jason confronted McBain about tip-ping off the authorities. Sam and Tea both went into la-bor at the same time. Tracy began looking for Anthony’s body. Heather had a strange new companion. Jason real-ized that he wanted to be a part of Sam and her baby’s life. Both Sam and Tea’s newborns needed medical at-tention. Johnny tried to frame Tracy and Luke. Wait to See: The flame reignites between Mac and Felicia. Starr pays Kate a visit.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSSparks flew between Christine and Danny after they ran into each other at the athletic club. Paul warned Phyllis to be careful around Ricky after he pulled a fast one on Daniel. Daisy allowed Ricky into Phyllis’s home, where he found a business card to a psychiatrist, Dr. Tim Reid. They were nearly caught when Daniel returned briefly to fetch his daughter’s pacifier. Michael was offered the DA’s job after he was fired by Victor. Victoria didn’t ap-prove of Sharon and Victor’s relationship. Ricky stole a file on Phyllis from Dr. Reid’s apartment. Victoria was shocked to learn that Billy once slept with Sharon. Wait to See: Heather receives a tempting job offer. Victoria’s thirst for revenge could hurt her marriage.

• Davis was accompanied by her husband, Ben, who served as her support crew. She reached the trail’s southern end in Springer Mountain, Georgia, a little over 46 days after she began.

• “We were exploring what people thought was possi-ble, for what was possible on the Appalachian Trail, and what was possible for a woman and a hiker,” Davis told National Geographic magazine afterward. “Records are made to be broken…The method and the approach are what matters more at the end of the day.”

• Nick Waggoner was an unknown film graduate from Colorado College when he began filming “Solitaire,” a documentary about his grueling ski odyssey through South America.

• Waggoner filmed over the course of two years with his three co-producers. The four men explored in far-flung locations such as the jungles along the Amazon River, the Cordillera Blanca, the Altiplano and windy Patago-nia.

• Waggoner filmed on foot, on skis, on boats, on horse-back and even while soaring through the sky on a para-glider. He faced tough weather conditions throughout without any of the comforts of normal travel. He and his group lived out of tents in driving rain and snow, occasionally for weeks at a time.

• The motley crew often hiked thousands of miles in darkness before dawn to capture sunrise in these un-spoiled vistas. They scaled broken glaciers in search of breathtaking vistas and climbed mountains in excess of 17,000 feet.

• When Waggoner arrived in South America to start production on the film, he was greeted with terrible news. His close friend and intended star of the docu-mentary, extreme skier Arne Backstrom, had fallen and died while attempting to scale the 18,897-foot Nevado Pisco.

• “Solitaire” is Waggoner’s third project with his compa-ny, Sweetgrass Productions. He recently spent a season in Hokkaido, Japan, filming another upcoming nature documentary. His acclaimed work in just three years has already won him awards, most recently at the Inter-national Freeski Film Festival in Montreal, Canada.

• For Willie and Damian Benegas, seeking adventure is a family affair. This past year the two brothers collected samples of the highest living plant life on Earth. Sam-ples were gathered from the flanks of Mt. Everest, over 22,000 feet in the air.

• Willie and Damian delivered the collected vegetation to the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as to research-ers at Montana State University. These samples will be used to help scientists investigate how climate change might affect our food production in the future. The brothers also brought back samples of rock near the summit of Everest for microbial study. It is hoped that these samples may provide insight into the effects of high levels of UV radiation on life at the microscopic level.

• 65-year-old writer and Arctic explorer John Turk joined 26-year-old pro kayaker Erik Boomer in a 1,485-mile circumnavigation of Ellesmear Island in Canada. This was the last great adventure for Turk, but it was only one of many in a lifetime dedicated to rugged outdoor exploration.

• Prior to his final trip with Boomer, Turk had completed a number of memorable climbs and has completed five separate Siberian expeditions in an effort to study Shamanic culture.

• The trip required the two sportsmen to drag their kay-aks across 800 miles of flat ice. Each kayak was over 13 feet long and weighed over 200 pounds. They began the trip in May, when ice had yet to melt completely, but were able to find pockets of open water after the spring thaw.

• Of the many dangers Turk and Boomer faced, the most terrifying were frequent interactions with polar bears. They saw 11 on one day alone, nine of which were ag-gressive.

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1. INVENTIONS: Who developed the process of pasteuriza-tion?2. FOOD & DRINK: What is the liquor cassis made from?3. POP CULTURE: When was the Pillsbury Doughboy intro-duced in TV ads?4. ASTRONOMY: What is a “maria”?5. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of South Dakota?6. LITERATURE: The 2004 movie “Christmas with the Kranks” was based on which novel?7. MOVIES: Who was the first black man to win an Oscar?8. ROYALTY: What is Prince Andrew’s official title?9. SPORTS PERSONALITIES: What was the boxing champion Muhammad Ali’s original name? 10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What kind of dog did President Bill Clinton and his family have?

Answers1. Louis Pasteur 2. Black currants 3. 1965 4. Also known as a sea, a maria is a dark region on the moon. 5. Pierre 6. “Skipping Christmas,” by John Grisham 7. Sidney Poitier won for his role in “Lilies of the Field.”8. Duke of York 9. Cassius Clay 10. Buddy, a Labrador retriever

Q: I’ve been hearing about the new “Dallas,” but haven’t been able to find it on the schedule. Please tell me the show wasn’t

scrapped before it even aired! -- Cara D., via e-mailA: Don’t you worry: “Dallas” returns to TV for 10 episodes on TNT beginning Wednesday, June 13, at 9/8c with a two-hour season premiere. You’re not the only one who’s excited. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the new generation of Ewings has in store for us -- and Larry Hagman as J.R. will be up to no good, for sure.

**Q: I was dismayed to read that “GCB” wasn’t renewed for a second season! Is there anything we can do to save this show? -- Vivian D., via e-mailA: I’m not sure if we can save the show -- if you read my column regularly, then you know I LOVE this show! -- but we sure can try. First, there is a website set up where you can sign a petition: SaveGCB.com. I spoke with two of the series stars about its

cancelation, and they are just as sad as we are. Eric Winter, who plays Luke Lourd, told me that “GCB” deserved to be saved because “the ‘GCB’ fans are the real deal. They’re passionate and they love their show. This is an extremely creative and smart show that just needs more of a chance to take off and run.” Mark Deklin, who plays Blake Reilly, echoed Eric’s sentiments, telling me: “What’s really touched me the most is the way the fans have embraced Blake and Cricket. The outpouring of love and loyalty across all the social media has been astounding. So my gratitude to the fans is huge, as is my admiration and affection for my colleagues. On the night we got the news that we weren’t being renewed for a second season, I got a text from Miriam (Shor, who plays Cricket) that said, ‘I will miss you most of all, Scarecrow.’ If there was a moment in which I got a little choked up, it was probably the moment when I read that text. I’ve become incredibly fond of the Caruth-Reillys.”

***Q: Can you tell me if my favorite show, “Harry’s Law,” will return next season? -- Laurie B., Canton, Mich.A: This is the part of my job that I hate: Telling good readers like you when a network has canceled their favorite show. “Harry’s Law” really struggled with ratings its second

season -- my guess is fans didn’t/couldn’t keep up with all the day and time changes that NBC kept dealing it.

***Readers: I have had dozens of people write in to ask about the fate of NBC’s “Community,” and I am thrilled to report that the offbeat comedy has been renewed for a 13-episode fourth season. While it might be shorter than normal, let’s just be glad we even got another season with this talented group!

PHOTO: Larry Hagman

HOLLYWOOD -- It was bound to hap-pen. In April, Ashton Kutcher signed on to play Steve Jobs in the upcoming bio-pic, “Jobs,” and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak endorsed him as the ap-ple of his eye to play Jobs. Now, Sony

is throwing its hat into the ring with a Steve Jobs film, based on Walter Isaacson’s bestseller, “Steve Jobs.” Having a hot, “in” actor like Kutcher on board is a big deal, but Sony has leveled the playing field by hiring “West Wing” creator and “Social Network” Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin to write and direct its film.By the by, Sorkin has acquired the rights to “The Politician” for his next project. It’s about the downfall of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards as written by key staff member Andrew Young. This year we had two Snow White pictures, (“Mir-ror, Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman”), and now we have two Steve Jobs films. Which studio will do the best job(s)?

***Robert Redford will direct himself in “The Company You Keep,” based on the 2003 Lem Dobbs novel. Redford plays a former Weather Underground militant wanted for bank robbery and murder, who has successfully hidden from the FBI for more than 30 years as an attorney. When his iden-tity is exposed, he becomes a fugitive while trying to find the one person who can clear him. He has surrounded himself with some of the best: Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Shia LaBeouf, Sam Elliott, classical child singer Jackie Evancho (as his daughter), Anna Kendrick, Chris Cooper and Stanley Tucci. Redford’s last film, “The Conspirator,” didn’t hit its mark at the box office. We need to support him on this one!

***Who would have thought when “Avatar” toppled “Titanic” as the No. 1 box-office grosser of all time that there would be a new contender for the top spot so soon? By the time you read this, “The Avengers” will have moved up from No. 11 to No. 4 after grossing $1.03 billion in its first two weeks. “Avatar” sits in the top spot with $2.8 billion, while “Titanic,” newly released in 3D, is fast moving upward from $2.2 billion. At this rate, “the Avengers” is packing enough heat and muscle to kick “Avatar’s” box-office butt and sink “The Titanic” be-fore you can name all six of its superheroes!

***BITS ‘N’ PIECES: If you’re dying to meet pop princess Katy Perry, there’s no need to go to one of her concerts. Just lunch at The Chateau Marmont, where she dines a lot while redo-ing her nearby house. ... Why do you suppose Johnny Depp walked the red carpet for his new film, “Dark Shadows,” but skipped his own after-party? Could it have been the reviews?

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¥ On June 11, 1509, King Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon, the first of six wives he will have in his lifetime. When Catherine failed to produce a male heir, Henry divorced her against the will of the Roman Catholic Church.

¥ On June 15, 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper, born a slave in Thomasville, Ga., in 1856, becomes the first black cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Flipper was never spoken to by a white cadet dur-ing his four years at West Point.

¥ On June 16, 1884, the first roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Known as a switchback rail-way, it traveled approximately 6 mph and cost a nickel to ride.

¥ On June 12, 1942, Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, receives a diary for her 13th birthday. A month later, she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis in rooms behind her father’s office. Anne’s diary, detailing their two years in hiding, was published in 1947.

¥ On June 14, 1951, the U.S. Census Bureau dedicates UNI-VAC, the world’s first commercially produced electronic digi-tal computer. UNIVAC, which stood for Universal Automatic Computer, used thousands of vacuum tubes for computation and was the forerunner of today’s digital computer.

¥ On June 13, 1966, the Supreme Court hands down its deci-sion in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their rights before interrogation. The roots of the Miranda decision go back to 1963 when Ernesto Miranda confessed to a crime and later recanted, unaware that he didn’t have to say anything at all.

¥ On June 17, 1972, five of President Richard Nixon’s re-election employees are arrested for burglary in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. An investigation unveiled a scheme of political sabotage and espionage designed to discredit Demo-cratic candidates. Equipment used during the burglary had been borrowed from the CIA.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having an impressive season. The Hen-drick driver is third in the standings, with two runner-up fin-ishes and two third-place finishes. (John Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)

Time Will Come for Earnhardt Jr.

CONCORD, N.C. -- By almost every measure, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having an impressive year.There’s this little matter of victo-ries, though.Earnhardt’s most recent win oc-

curred at Michigan International Speedway in June 2008. It was the 18th of his career. The streak just reached 140 races without win-ning.Yet Earnhardt, 37, is third in the Sprint Cup point standings, just 14 points behind Greg Biffle. This is a man who is overdue. The next race is at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is both the home track for the Kannapolis, N.C., native and one where he has never won a Cup points race. He did, however, win what is now the Sprint All-Star Race (then The Winston) in 2000. For that matter, he also won the Sprint Showdown over the weekend and finished fifth in the All-Star Race.Already this season, the son and namesake of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt has finished second twice and third twice.At Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt’s teammates are five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. Johnson’s victory at Darlington was Rick Hendrick’s 200th as an owner.“It was disappointing because I wasn’t the one to get it,” Earnhardt said, “but I was happy for Jimmie (Johnson), and especially happy for Rick (Hendrick) because he’s worked really hard and put a lot into this sport. It’s great to see him reach milestones and be a small part of that program when that happened. It was a great experience just to be there and see their excitement.

“It just drives me and motivates me to win some races for him. To put my name up on that list as they go to 250 and 300 (wins). I want to have a few more wins on that list there. That’s how it makes me feel.”This could be the week. Then again, fans have been saying that for an awfully long while.“There’s no doubt that the core fans and the Junior fans have been waiting for that moment to happen,” Gordon said. “There’s still a lot of racing left to go, but the way those guys are performing, they’ve got a great shot at championship.”

Preventing Dog Attacks

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My dog, “Andie,” is a pretty laid-back border collie, well-socialized to other dogs and people. However, I am dismayed when a child runs up to her or another strange dog to pet or hug her. Andie tolerates these “surprise hugs” well, but other dogs may not be so well-trained. Can you please remind your readers about the right way to

approach a strange dog? -- Carol J., Pittsburgh

DEAR CAROL: You got it! Approaching a dog, even a dog you know, should be done with caution and respect. Parents need to teach their children how to behave around dogs. More than half of the 4.7 million Americans bitten by dogs last year were children.The American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org) and Prevent the Bite (preventthebite.org) have joined the U.S. Postal Service to call attention to preventing dog bites. Here are some tips:--Never leave a baby or a small child alone with a dog, even the family pet.--Teach children not to approach strange dogs, run up to dogs to hug them or try to pet them through a fence.--Always ask permission of a dog’s owner before petting the dog. You should pet the dog first before letting your child pet the dog.--Learn the right way to approach and pet a dog, including your own dog. It should first be able to see you and sniff you. If the dog tenses, bristles, growls or backs away, back off.--Do not approach tethered or confined dogs, sleeping dogs or mothers taking care of puppies.--If you’re passing a dog, whether on or off a leash, walk steadily and calmly past, without making direct eye contact. Never run.

Page 6 For Advertising Call 251-285-4116¥ Use a bandana to strain coffee if you’ve accidentally had a filter bust. It works. I first used this tip when camping, but I have used it at home, too.

The coffee goes through it faster than a paper filter, which is fine when it’s already brewed, since you lose less heat. -- T.R. in Arkansas

¥ Recycling notes: Cardboard that’s greasy or food-caked is just not recyclable. It’s trash. On the plus side, your glass jars don’t have to be perfectly clean, nor your cans crushed, in order to take them to the recycling center or drop curbside if your community has a plan in place.

¥ “To freshen stuffed animals, dampen a cloth with a solution of 1 cup vinegar and 3 cups water. Wipe outside fur thoroughly, being careful not to soak it. Secure in a delicates bag or tie inside a pillowcase, then put in the dryer at low heat until completely dry. Adding a fabric softener sheet for the final five minutes is nice, too.” -- D.W. in Oklahoma

¥ Here’s a wonderful tip from Fibrenew, a leather, vinyl and plastics refurbishing specialist, on what to do if you get ink on your leather car seats: “DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agents in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray, another commonly recommended remedy, has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.” Use a special leather-cleaning kit instead, or contact a local professional to fix it for you.

¥ “Remove tea stains from your teapot with a few drops of bleach added to a pot of hot water. Let sit for five or so minutes, then swish with a brush. Most tea stains will come right out. Be sure to rinse well.” -- A.A. in Florida

Send a Handwritten Thank You to Teacher

“Mr. Wold, you taught me how to read and write,” begins the thoughtful thank-you book 5-year-old Emmett Brown is mak-

ing to give to his kindergarten teacher on the last day of school. Emmett eagerly practices his new skills as he sounds out

words and writes them with a sharp pencil. “I think your glasses are cool when you read to us,” he continues, energetically

dotting the “i” and crossing the “t.”

“Making a little book or card is a personalized way of showing teachers how much they have made an impact on young lives,” says his mom, Wendy Brown,

mother of two and blogger of her inspiring site about the art of handwriting, (www.brownink.co) Computers are a way of life for kids, but she believes it’s

important to make room for paper, pencils and pens, too.

“Emmett was going to write a card for his teacher, but when we discovered a create-your-own-books kit at a toy store, he got excited to make it a bigger

production,” she said.

To get started, Wendy and Emmett talked about the school year and then she helped him create topics for each page. Using photos, stickers and magazine pic-

tures, the pages feature nature outings, ice skating, night sky watches and even the birth of Mr. Wold’s baby girl. The “Words of the Day” page lists Emmett’s

favorites -- groundhog, The White House and chrysanthemum. On the “I like your one-liners” page he writes “It’s the weekend, baby!” and he also glues on

a tiny note from Mr. Wold: “Emmett, I’m hog wild for you.”

Your school-age kids can show their appreciation to their teachers by putting energy behind a pen or pencil, too. Help them make their own small book by

stacking nice paper and punching holes along the side. Bind them together by weaving ribbon or string in and out of the holes. If you prefer, make a card by

folding heavy paper in half or use a large sheet of construction paper cut in half lengthwise. Tape the short ends together to make a long strip and make ac-

cordion folds. Jot thoughts and attach pictures on each section.

¥ It was c e l e b r a t e d p h y s i c i s t Albert Einstein who made the

following sage observation: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

¥ It was in 1917 when one Dr. Walter G. Walford wrote an article warning readers of the perils of tight collars and ties, claiming that such constricting neckwear caused illness by retarding the flow of blood to the brain.

¥ It’s fairly well known that seahorses are monogamous, staying with the same mate until death. Many people don’t realize, however,

that these fish are so devoted that every day they reaffirm their union with a morning greeting dance.

¥ When Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti, got married, there were more security personnel than guests in attendance.

¥ America got its first paved street back in 1647. It was, unsurprisingly, in New York City.

¥ The fastest known star is traveling through space at a rate of 3.5 million miles per hour.

¥ The figure on the Heisman trophy was sculpted from a real person. Warren Mulrey played football for Fordham University when John Heisman chose him to be the model for the new award.

¥ If you’re like the average American, you use 2 gallons of water every time you brush your teeth. So turn off that faucet while you brush!

¥ If you like squash, corn, beans, pecans, chili peppers, pumpkins, maple syrup or cranberries, you have Native Americans to thank -- they’re the ones who taught Europeans to gather and use these foods. In fact, by the end of the past century, fully one-third of all crops grown in the United States were of Native American origin.

¥ It’s not easy to contemplate, but before there was toilet paper, American colonists used corncobs.

***Thought for the Day: “Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” -- Martin Luther King Jr.

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A WORLD OF ADVENTUREAmerica obviously doesn’t corner the market on men

and woman of courage and adventurous spirit. Here are a

few of the more interesting recent examples of our fellow

explorers across the globe.

• Alastair Humphreys of the United Kingdom has ridden

his bicycle over 46,000 miles in various locales around

the world. Humphreys did this before he was 35 years

old. He has also crossed Iceland’s glacial highlands

entirely on foot and is planning what will be the longest

journey to the South Pole ever attempted without support.

• After travelling nearly everywhere on the globe,

Humphreys decided to see more of the country of his

birth. He spent all of 2011 in Great Britain. He completed

an ambitious group of “microadventures,” beginning and

ending these trips at the front door of his home outside

London.

• Among his explorations in 2011 was a hike up the M25,

the well-known roadway that is notorious for having the

worst traffic in the country. He also swam the Thames

River, familiarized himself with the UK’s public

transportation and spent several days living entirely off

the land.

• Humphreys used social media to encourage his fellow

adventurers to record video diaries of their own

“microadventures.” Through Twitter, he received a

surprising number of responses, some from as far away

as Japan.

• Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner recently

became the only woman to summit all 14 of the peaks

worldwide that measure over 26,000 feet (8,000 m). She

completed the staggering feat in 2011, besting the K2

near the border of China and Pakistan.

• Kaltenbrunner had nearly gotten the record in 2010 on the

very same mountain. She was only 400 meters from the

summit when tragedy struck. Her partner, mountaineer

Fredrik Ericsson, slipped while climbing above her and

tumbled below. Kaltenbrunner immediately abandoned

her mission in an attempt to rescue her partner.

Unfortunately, Ericsson’s injuries from the fall proved

fatal.

• The tragic 2010 trip to K2 was Kaltenbrunner’s fifth

attempt to scale the most dangerous peak on Earth. An

infamous section of the K2 known as the “Bottleneck”

claimed 11 lives in 2008 alone.

• Scottish bicyclist Danny MacAskill quit his job as a

mechanic in 2009 so he could pursue riding full-time.

Before, he would ride after work but felt he was falling

short of his cycling dreams.

• In March of 2009, MacAskill had his roommate Dave

Sowerby tag along and film as he performed a series of

outrageous tricks around and across Edingburgh’s most

famous landmarks.

• The video became a viral sensation, being viewed more

than 27 million times!

• The feats that MacAskill performed on the video were

so astounding that some viewers accused him of using

special effects. MacAskill was inspired by the idea of

creating physical puzzles using the landscape. His goal

was to show how his bicycle could overcome seemingly

impossible obstacles.

When Heart Becomes a Feeble Pump

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Six months ago, my wife died in her sleep. She said she just felt shaky and tired out around 6 p.m. When

I turned on my light at 4 a.m., I immediately knew she had died. I was told she died of congestive heart failure. She told me she had this two months prior to her death. Was there something we could have done? I carry guilt with me every day. Is congestive heart failure a death sen-tence? -- S.F.

ANSWER: Heart failure indicates that the heart has become a weak pump. “Congestive” often is added to “heart failure” to emphasize that the failing heart causes blood to circulate poorly. Fluid oozes out of vessels and congests body organs, especially the lungs and makes breathing difficult. Congestion also shows in swollen ankles and feet. However, not all people with heart failure show the signs of congestion.Shortness of breath when lying down, waking from sleep gasping for breath, coughing during the night and the inability to get enough air to accomplish even light physical tasks are signs of heart failure. I can assure you that the world’s most renowned heart doctor would not have expected your wife to die in her sleep because she said she felt tired and shaky. You are entitled to feel sad, but you do not deserve to feel guilty.Heart failure comes from heart arteries clogged with cholesterol, from

heart valve malfunction, from high blood pressure and from heartbeat disturbances like atrial fibrillation. Treatments are available. Water pills draw water from an overfilled circulation, and that eases the burden on the heart. Other medicines increase the strength of the heartbeat. Spe-cial pacemakers can restore synchronous beating to the heart’s out-of-sync pumping chambers. Congestive heart failure is not always a death sentence. My sincerest condolences to you and your family.The booklet on heart failure describes this common condition in greater detail. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 103W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: While trying to get out of the bathtub, I slipped and hit my chest against the side of the tub. My husband took me to the emergency room. X-rays showed two broken ribs.The ER doctor seemed to think this was nothing, but it was truly pain-ful. He gave me a prescription for pain medicine, and that was it. Should some kind of splint be applied? How long does it take rib fractures to heal? -- M.K.

ANSWER: An uncomplicated rib fracture -- one in which the ends of the fracture are in alignment -- can be treated with pain relievers alone. Admittedly, even the small movement of breathing in and out worsens the pain, but your medicine ought to take care of that.Sometimes rib belts are put on patients to keep the fracture ends from moving. Whether they do much good is disputed, and they can be un-comfortable. You can expect your ribs to heal in six weeks.

Lowering the Risk of Hypertension

Some of us with high blood pressure have adjusted our diets and medications to bring it under control -- to no avail. Chances are those of us who still struggle with hypertension inherited the condition. Or perhaps we don’t have it yet but seem destined to by family medical history. Having just one parent with high blood pressure dramatically increases the odds of being hypertensive.

Genes are tough to beat. But there might be an answer.A study in the May issue of the journal Hypertension showed that merely walking 150 minutes per week (30 minutes a day for five days) can lower the risk in people who are genetically likely to get high blood pressure.Researchers tracked more than 6,000 people in different categories: those who had one parent with high blood pressure, those who were not physically fit and those who were very fit.The result: Those with high levels of physical fitness had a 42 percent lower risk, and the moderately fit had a 26 percent lower risk. To further show how exercise impacted the results, those who were very fit, even having a family predisposition, had an increased risk of only 16 percent.On the other end of the extreme, those who had a family history and a lower level of physical fitness had a whopping 70 percent higher risk. That’s a double whammy.The results are clear: Even if a parent has high blood pressure, you can lower the chance that you’ll have high blood pressure by exercising. The better your level of fitness, the more you can decrease your odds. The benefits are potentially huge.

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Your Social Security Updates Move Online

Until 2011, the Social Security Administration mailed yearly updates to every person who’d paid into Social Security. Those updates showed the facts and figures that would be used if the recipient applied for benefits, whether for retirement or disability.In other words, it was crucial that the information be correct.It’s still crucial, but now the information has to be accessed online at the SSA website.When you go to the online site, you’ll need to create an account with a password. You’ll be asked for your name, birth date, phone number, mailing address, and

yes, your Social Security number.With all the daily cautions not to enter any personal information on the Internet, many of us are hesitant to type in the most important information of all, our Social Security number. However, there are safeguards that can be taken to ensure that the information is safe. Allsup, Inc. [www.allsupinc.com], a financial-planning group, recommends the following:--Don’t use a public computer. Your Social Security number could be available to the next person who uses that computer.--Don’t use Google or any other search engine to find the SSA website. Go directly there by typing in the URL: socialsecurity.gov--Don’t tell anyone your password.--If you receive an email that looks like it came from the SSA, and if it asks for personal information, don’t respond. It’s a scam. The SSA is never going to contact you that way.If you’re leery of using your home computer to put in all that personal information (especially if you have an unsecured wi-fi connection or if you’re not sure of your virus protection), you can go to any Social Security office and sign up for an account login.Once you have your statement, check it carefully.Since retirement and disability benefits are based on the taxes you paid and the length of time you worked, check Your Earnings Record on the form. Do the numbers match what your W-2s show? If there are any discrepancies at all, contact SSA right away.Look at Your Estimated Benefits. That is what you can expect to receive at different retirement ages or if you need to collect Social Security disability benefits.The SSA will send statements by mail to those who are age 60 and older if they have not applied for benefits, and one time to 25-year-olds.