Vol 2 Wk 8

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TIDBITS® “SEES” THATTHE EYES HAVE IT!

by Patricia L. Cook If you see things 20/20, you have good eyes to observe our world and be amazed! Let’s see what we can learn about our amazing human eyes and some other eyes as well.

• Seeing things with 20/20 vision is commonly considered good vision in the United States. In Canada and the rest of the world that uses the metric system, normal vision is 6/6 (6 meters as opposed to 20 feet.) This term basically means that you have “good visual acuity at 20 feet” (6 m), which is normal distance vision.

• The Snellen chart was developed by Dr. Her-mann Snellen, a Dutch ophthalmologist, in 1862. This “eye” chart has 11 lines of block let-ters, beginning with a single letter at the top, usually E. The size of the letters gets smaller from the top of the chart to the bottom, so there are more letters on the bottom row than on the top. The eighth row of letters is usually the line for 20/20 (6/6) vision. Sixty-one per-cent of Americans wear corrective lenses to get to “normal” vision.

• So, are all letters of the alphabet on the chart? No. The letters used are only C, D, H, K, N, O, R, S, V and Z. These are the Sloan letters, which were designed by Louise Sloan in 1959. These letters are called “optotypes.” turn the page for more!

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EYES (continued):

• Babies’ eyes are about 75 percent of the size of adult eyes at birth. The optic nerve, internal eye structures and visual function continue to develop in the first two years of life.

• Each component of the eye has a special function, and together the components are necessary for good vision. Eye professionals have to spend a lot of time figuring out all of the ways to “fix” vision prob-lems. Imagine the days before eyeglasses, contacts and surgeries were available! Today, we are able to see well into old age.

• The Chinese claim to be the inventors of eyeglass-es but apparently used them initially only to ward off evil spirits. These eyeglasses were for protection and probably lacked the ability to improve vision. Historians are unsure who invented the first eye-glasses used to improve vision.

• The first known artistic representation of eyeglass-es was a painting by Tommaso da Modena in 1352. The glasses in his painting were perched on the nose of his subject even though most known ear-ly glasses for improving sight were not. Monocles, scissors-glasses and lorgnettes used for improving vision were either worn around the neck on ribbons or chains, clipped to clothing or just hand-held. • Monocles were framed lenses attached to a chain or ribbon and used for one eye when needed. Lor-gnettes were two lenses in a frame that the user would hold up to the eyes. They were somewhat of a fashion statement, especially for ladies. They were popular at the opera and masquerade par-ties. Scissors-glasses were two lenses on a Y-shaped frame that, like a monocle, were hung on a ribbon or chain.

Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring

¥ On March 3, 1887, Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing after a severe illness at the age of 19 months. Under Sul-livan’s tutelage, Keller flourished, eventually graduating from college and becoming an international lecturer and activist.

¥ On March 6, 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Ber-lin registers Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co. The brand name came from “a” for acetyl, “spir” from the spirea plant (a source of salicin) and the suffix “in,” commonly used for medications.

¥ On March 2, 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, is born in Springfield, Mass. Geisel’s first book, “And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” was rejected by more than two dozen publishers before making it into print in 1937.

¥ On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh III, the 20-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lind-bergh, is kidnapped from the family’s new mansion in Hopewell, N.J. Days later the baby’s lifeless body was discovered near the Lindbergh home.

¥ On Feb. 28, 1940, Mario Andretti, whose name will become synonymous with American auto racing, is born in Montona, Italy. His long list of achievements includes a Formula One World Championship and wins at the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

¥ On March 4, 1966, a John Lennon quotation that was ignored in England sets off a media frenzy in America: “We’re more popular than Jesus now.” Bible Belt disc jockeys declared Lennon’s remarks blasphemous and vowed an eternal ban on all Beatles music, past, present and future.

¥ On March 5, 1977, the Dial-a-President radio pro-gram, featuring President Jimmy Carter and CBS news anchorman Walter Cronkite, airs for the first time. Carter answered calls from all over the country from his desk in the Oval Office. Some 9 million calls flooded the CBS radio studio during the two-hour broadcast.

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Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring EYES (continued):

• Have you ever heard the term “pince-nez?” These were two-lens glasses that “pinched” the nose in or-der to stay on. The name comes from French: pincer, to pinch, and nez, which means nose. They too were in frames and attached to a cord, ribbon or chain.

• London optician Edward Scarlett perfected the use of sidepieces or arms that attached to lenses in 1730. His new style eyeglasses that slipped over a person’s ears, eliminating the need for chains, also freed the hands. They were popular and rapidly spread world-wide.

• Contact lenses are not as “new” as you may think. The idea goes back to the late 1800s when glass-blower F.E. Muller, a German known for making glass eyes, blew a protective lens for a man who had can-cer. The patient wore the lens for 20 years until his death, without losing his vision. The term “contact lens” actually is attributed to a Swiss physician, Dr. A. Eugen Fick, who published the results of experi-ments with the lenses in 1887.

• Sometimes there is confusion over which eye pro-fessional to see for eye problems. Opticians manu-facture and dispense glasses and contacts. They often deal with patients after they have seen an op-tometrist or ophthalmologist. An optometrist is a vi-sion professional who can diagnose vision problems, prescribe contacts and eyeglasses, provide treat-ment before and after eye surgery and prescribe drugs for various eye problems. Ophthalmologists are licensed medical doctors and can do everything performed by optometrists plus they can perform eye surgery. An ophthalmologist must complete four years of medical school following a college de-gree and an internship that focuses on their desired specialty.

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1. Matt Stairs tied a record in 2010 by playing for his 12th major-league team. Name either of the two pitchers to hold the mark.2. Hank Aaron was one of three major-leaguers who played for both the Milwaukee Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. Name

either of the other two to do it.3. At the end of the 2010 college football season, how many schools in the Big 12 had won at least one national title in football?4. Name the last team before the 2006-08 Detroit Pistons to lose in the round before the NBA Finals three years in a row.5. Who was the last New York Ranger before Derek Stepan in 2010 to begin a season with a hat trick?6. Who ended Russian Alexander Karelin’s winning streak of 13 years at the 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling finals? 7. Name the golfer who came from behind in the final round to beat Tiger Woods in the 2009 PGA Championship.

¥ To clean artificial flowers, place the arrangement flow-ers first into a paper bag. Add a cup of salt and gather the opening of the bag around the stems of the flow-ers. Twist closed and hold tightly at the stems. Shake the arrangement vigorously. The salt beats the dust off the flowers. Hold the bag upside down for a second and shake lightly to make sure all the salt granules fall off into the bag, and then remove the arrangement.

¥ Ink stains can sometimes be removed from cloth-ing or furniture upholstery by using rubbing alcohol or hairspray. Using a clean paper towel or white cloth, spray the ink, and immediately dab and press several times. Repeat using a clean portion of the cloth until the stain is removed.

¥ “I purchase large pieces of cheese from my bulk retailer. I keep it fresh and mold-free by wrapping it in cheesecloth that I have sprayed with plain white vinegar.” -- E.C. in In-diana

¥ “I use an old hairbrush to remove the lint from the trap on my dryer. My hands and my grip aren’t what they used to be, and sometimes it would be hard to get the lint start-ed. The brush is easy to use, and I just swipe it over the screen and knock the lint off into a small trash can.” -- A.L. in Ontario, Canada

¥ “I purchased a car-washing kit several years ago, and for-got about it. I have gotten rid of my car, and didn’t have any use for it. I removed the washing mitt before I gave it away, and I found an excellent use for it -- as a dusting mitt. It has a texture that picks up dust and holds it, and to me, it’s worth the price of the kit itself.” -- V.H. in Texas

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

EYES (continued):

• Animal eyes are varied in their placement, size and acuity. Many animals have vision that is far su-perior to humans. Maybe that is why we never see animals with eyeglasses! Do you know which ani-mal has the largest eyeballs on earth? That would be the giant squid, whose eyes are about the size of beach balls (about 18 inches, 45.7 cm). Imagine meeting those underwater! Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal, measuring about two inches (5 cm) across. Ostrich eyes are bigger than their brains, which are about the size of a wal-nut.

• If someone says you are “blind as a bat,” consider this: Bats are not blind, but they don’t use their eyes to see. They use sound waves instead. They make high-pitched sounds and listen for the echoes when the sounds bounce off objects. This is called echolocation. Whales, dolphins, some shrews and a few species of birds also use echolocation.

• Horned toads (short-horned lizards) are interest-ing little reptiles that have a couple of very odd tal-ents to help them ward off predators. They can in-flate their bodies up to twice their size, looking like little spiny balloons, and some of the species have the most bizarre ability to shoot blood from their eyes. The blood comes from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel up to three feet (one meter). This “talent” is used to confuse predators and contains a chemical that is noxious to coyotes, wolves and dogs.

• Have you ever been told you have “eagle eyes?” If so, you must have great vision. An average person can see a rabbit at about 550 yards (503 m), while an eagle can see it at about a mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 m). So, protect your vision and enjoy what you see!

Tidbits® of The Woodlands/West Spring

You saved for the phone, signed up for a monthly plan and now you’re all set. You have a new smart-phone that not only lets you make and receive calls, but also send and receive text messages, find your place in the world with GPS and snap photos along the way. Those photos can be sent to your e-mail address, or to friends, your online photo al-bum or your social media page. But all isn’t as it seems. The high technology that allows you to do all those things comes at a price: your security. Any photos you take will include Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data, which reveals exactly where and when the photo was taken. For example, if you’ve taken all the cor-rect security steps on your social media page and think you’re safe, think again. If you take a phone picture of your child’s Little League game or your house and upload it, that location is embedded in the photo for anyone to extract. It’s called geotag-ging, and it can lead someone right to your door.

There’s a good chance that the GPS feature in your new phone was enabled by default: In other words, it comes this way out of the box.There are ways to disable the GPS in your phone. Check your user manual. If you have any doubt whatsoever that you can do this, take the phone back to where you bought it and insist that a tech do it for you. This isn’t a time to be unsure. Ad-ditionally, if you have added apps (applications) to your phone that use GPS, you’ll have to consider those as well.Having phones give away your location in a pho-tograph isn’t the only way your security could be compromised. If you troll the Internet on your phone and go to the wrong site, a Trojan horse could be downloaded to your phone that allows someone to read your e-mail, grab your passwords and see your browser history.On the other hand, if you only want a cell phone to make and receive calls, consider one that doesn’t require a contract, allows you to buy pay-as-you-go minutes and doesn’t incur a monthly bill. See what your local wireless phone store has to offer.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally an-swer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].

Like Your Smartphone? So Do Cyber Stalkers

1. GEOGRAPHY: The North Sea is a part of what larger body of water?2. MOVIES: Who directed the movie “Nashville”?3. COMICS: What was the name of Clark Kent’s boss at “The Daily Planet”?4. THEATER: How many Pulitzer Prizes did Eu-gene O’Neill win in his lifetime?5. BIBLE: What was the name of Abraham’s wife?6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the apartment building where John Lennon lived before he was murdered?7. ANATOMY: Where are the adrenal glands lo-cated?8. HISTORY: What revolution did Ernesto “Che” Guevara helped lead?9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president helped organize the Rough Riders cavalry?10. BUSINESS: Which company has the nickname “Big Blue”?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Whatever decisions you’re faced with this week, rely on your strong Aries instincts, and base them on your honest feelings, not necessarily on what others might expect you to do.TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Your sensitive Taurean spirit is pained by what you feel is an unwarranted attack by a miffed colleague. But your sensible self should see it as proof that you must be doing some-thing right.GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) More fine-tuning might be in order before you can be absolutely certain that you’re on the right track. Someone close to you might offer to help. The weekend favors family get-togeth-ers.CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The week continues to be a balancing act ‘twixt dreaming and doing. But by week’s end, you should have a much better idea of what you actually plan to do and how you plan to do it.LEO (July 23 to August 22) Changing your plans can be risky, but it can also be a necessary move. Recheck your facts before you act. Tense encounters should ease by midweek, and all should be well by the weekend. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might still be trying to adjust to recent changes. But things should improve considerably as you get to see some positive results. An uneasy personal matter calls for more patience.LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Congratula-tions. Your good intentions are finally recognized, and long-overdue appreciation should follow. Keep working toward improvements wherever you think they’re necessary.SCORPIO (October 23 to November 2) Try to look at your options without prejudging any of them. Learn the facts, and then make your assessments. Spend the weekend enjoying films, plays and musical events.SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Someone might want to take advantage of the Sagit-tarian’s sense of fair play. But before you ride off to right what you’ve been told is a wrong, be sure of your facts.CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might be surprised to learn that not everyone agrees with your ideas. But this can prove to be a good thing. Go over them and see where improvements can be made.AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) After tak-ing advice on a number of matters in recent months, expect to be called on to return the gesture. And, by the way, you might be surprised at who makes the request.PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Reassure every-one concerned that a change of mind isn’t necessarily a change of heart. You might still want to pursue a specific goal, but feel a need to change the way you’ll get there.BORN THIS WEEK: You are able to make room in your heart for others, and that makes you a very special person in their lives.


SNOWFLAKESNature provides us with a plethora of beautiful things to observe. Snowflakes falling from the sky on a cold winter’s day are an amazing sight.

• Is it really true that it can be too cold to snow? Ac-cording to “Farmers’ Almanac,” that is false. The better statement is: “It can be too cold to snow heavily.” As long as there is a source of moisture and some way to cool the air, it can snow. Most heavy snow events happen when air temperature near the ground is at or above 15º F (-9.4ºC).

• Wilson A. Bentley of Jericho, Vermont, was an early pioneer in the study and photography of snowflakes. An exhibit of the “Bentley Snow Crystal Collection” at the Buffalo Museum of Science at the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, shows the deep interest in snow of the man known as “Snowflake” Bentley. A farm boy who was mostly home-schooled, Bentley had a great interest in nature, and being in one of the snowiest areas of the country, he spent a lot of time studying snow. He photographed snowflakes using photomicrography, which is photography through a microscope.

• The Jericho Historical Society has mementos of “Snowflake” Bentley in its Museum opened in the lower level of the Old Red Mill in Jericho. Bentley cap-tured 5,000-plus snow crystal photomicrographic im-ages during his lifetime. More than 2,000 of his imag-es are in his book, “Snow Crystals,” published in 1931.

• The first research grant ever awarded by the Ameri-can Meteorological Society was given to “Snowflake” Bentley in 1924 for his 40 years of “extremely patient work.” He had articles published in National Geo-graphic, Country Life, Popular Mechanics, Monthly Weather Review and The New York Times.

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I have a 5-month-old Golden Retriever. I was wondering if you could give me any tips regarding “Saucy” biting and jumping up on people. How can I stop it? -- Crystal, Pensacola, Fla.

DEAR CRYSTAL: Jumping up and nonaggressive biting (or mouthing) are two of the most common undesirable behaviors among dogs. And because they’re fairly instinctive actions, if you’re not consistent with the way you deal with Saucy’s behavior, the problems can continue indefinitely.Fortunately, the solution to jumping and biting lies in basic obedience training, particularly in the sit-stay commands. Saucy should get obedience training at least once daily in addition to her twice-daily walks. (By the way, regular walks will dampen some of that excitability.)To reduce jumping, note where and when Saucy tends to jump up the most. Is it at the door, greeting visitors? Train her in sit-stay next to the entrance, preferably in the same spot each time. When she responds well to “sit” and “stay,” increase the difficulty by having another person ring the doorbell and come in. Command her to sit and stay if she stands, lunges at the door or does anything other than sit

in the designated spot. Mouthing, like jumping, is an absolute no-no, and should be treated as such. As Saucy’s owner, each time she tries her biting routine, firmly but calmly say “no” and gently move her muzzle away. Then command her to sit and stay; when she obeys, give her a chew toy. Now, puppies and even adult dogs tend to lapse a bit with these two behaviors, especially when company is over. If you haven’t got time for a training session, use one of my favorite quick-correction methods: turn your back. For a playful dog, nothing is more disconcerting than someone indicating “I don’t want to play with you.” Use that moment of confusion to turn back around and command sit-stay. If Saucy doesn’t follow instructions or is just too excited and distracted by guests, place her in a quiet room with her bedding and chew toys until your guests have left.

Excitable Puppy Needs TrainingBy Sam Mazzotta

Looking for more pet advice and information? Check out pawscorner.com online! Send your pet questions and tips to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Cor-ner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

SNOWFLAKES (continued):

• Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics at Caltech in Pasadena, California, has a website that shows diagrams of the 35 most common types of snowflakes. The website, snowcrystals.com, has some interesting facts and figures and even information on some great places for snowflake touring.

• You may recall a set of four commemorative snowflake stamps in 2006. The four stamps is-sued by the U.S. Postal Service used four original photographs taken by Dr. Libbrecht. The pho-tos were taken in Fairbanks, Alaska, Houghton, Michigan, and two in Northern Ontario. Dr. Lib-brecht also has published a number of books about snowflakes. Look for them at a bookstore or your local library for much more fascinating snowflake information.

• Another physicist, Ukichiro Nakaya, who is actually a nuclear physicist, has studied snow crystals (or snowflakes) for many years and was the first person to make artificial snow in 1936. His development made it possible to extend ski seasons all over the world. The Ukichiro Nakaya Museum of Snow and Ice in Katayamazu in Kaga City, Japan, is about 311 miles (500 km) west of Tokyo. Another snow museum in Japan is lo-cated at Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The Snow Crystals Museum of Asahikawa looks like an Austrian castle.

• Snowflake, Arizona, is a place you might expect to be covered with a large amount of snow in the winter. The town, the northernmost community in Arizona’s White Mountains, actually receives less than a foot (30.5 c) of precipitation per year. Snowflake was not named for the winter flakes that fall but after two Mormon settlers, Erastus Snow and William Flake, who started the com-munity in 1878.

1. Mike Morgan and Ron Villone.2. Felipe Alou and Phil Roof.3. Five -- Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado and Texas A&M.4. The Boston Celtics, 1953-55.5. Ron Murphy, in 1955.6. American Rulon Gardner.7. Y.E. Yang.

1. Atlantic Ocean2. Robert Altman3. Perry White4. Four

5. Sarah 6. The Dakota 7. On top of the kidneys8. Cuban Revolution 9. Teddy Roosevelt 10. IBM


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