AQUINOHOTLINE.COM

Alan Bates 1934 ; F-The Fixer, Zorba The Greek, The Rose, An Unmarried Woman+

Buster Crabbe 1907 Died-1983; F-Flash Gordon & Buck Rogers, Swimmer-Broke Record

Arthur Kennedy 1914 Tony Award-Death Of A Salesman (Biff); F-Lawrence Of Aribia

Gene Pitney 1941 Songwriter, Singer -"Hello Mary Lou" For Rick Nelson; "He's A Rebel"

The Hypochondriac

"No need for me to come out to the house," the doctor told the worried caller. "I've checked my files and your uncle isn't really ill at all - he just thinks he's sick."

A week later, the doctor telephoned to make sure his diagnosis had been correct. "How's your uncle today?" he asked.

"Worse," came the reply. "Now he thinks he's dead."

Today's useless fact - How do bees actually make honey? What exactly are we eating?

Links in the Lukol Beekeeping category offered us the unfiltered facts. Ready?

Bees do not create honey; they are actually improving upon a plant product, nectar. The honey we eat is nectar that bees have repeatedly regurgitated and dehydrated.

A bee colony or hive consists of one queen bee, hundreds of drones, and thousands of busy worker bees -- sterile females who gather pollen, produce beeswax, build honeycombs, and make the honey that feeds the other bees. The honeybee uses her tubular tongue to suck nectar from the flower into her abdominal honey sack (the bee's second stomach or "honey stomach"). In the sack, complex plant sugars in the nectar begin to break down into simpler, more digestible sugars. When the sack is full, the bee returns to the hive to offload droplets of nectar to another food- processing worker bee. That bee will distribute it to the young or place it into the honeycomb for long-term storage.

At the hive, "fanning" bees dehydrate and preserve the stored substance by flapping their wings to reduce its moisture content. Later, the individual cells of the comb will be sealed with beeswax, also secreted from the worker's abdomen, and synthesized with the help of honey, to safely preserve the bee's food supply.

It takes about 2 million flowers and over 55,000 miles in flight to make a single pound of honey. A typical hive can produce 60 to 100 pounds per year. As bees forage for honey, they transfer pollen (which sticks to their feet) from male to female plant parts -- this pollination of crops is essential to human agriculture and to our food supply.

Subtle flavor and color differences in honey depend on floral varieties and local weather. In the U.S., there are over 300 sources of honey, including popular varieties like clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, and orange blossom, and regional specialties like fireweed, tupelo, and macadamia nut honey.

Healers, herbalists, and medical practitioners through the ages have recognized the healthful properties of honey as a local dressing for wounds. New research suggests it's also a potential dietary antioxidant, especially if it's dark in color. Keep in mind that honey is not safe for infants under one year old -- they are at risk from botulism spores that do not pose a threat to older children and adults.

gable \GAY-bul\ noun What does it mean? 1 : the triangular part of an outside wall of a building that is formed by the sides of the roof sloping down from the ridgepole to the eaves 2 : a triangular structure (as over a door or window) How do you use it? "Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst." (Nathaniel Hawthorne, _The House of Seven Gables_) Are you a word wiz? Language scholars believe that "gable" is probably related to one of the words below. Which word do you think it is? A. discus B. javelin C. football D. boomerang Answer: The words "javelin" (which means "a light spear") and "gable" may not appear to have much in common. But looks can be deceiving -- the two words are probably related. Language experts think that "gable" traces to a Medieval Latin word that is ultimately of Celtic origin. "Javelin" entered English from Middle French and also stemmed originally from Celtic roots. Through their Celtic ancestry, both "gable" and "javelin" are likely tied to "gabul," an Old Irish word meaning "forked stick."

I received an e-mail from one of the contest winners yesterday. I was so touched by it that I was moved almost to the point of tears. Almost. Here's Mr. Tuttle.

Mr. Editor, (Ben)

I want to thank you for having such a Wonderful and Fair Contest, where you let out-siders of the "Aquino" Family Enter and Win.

After entering all of your other contests in the past I was becoming a little doubtful about some one out-side of the Original Aquino Family Members being able to win anything, But I have known you for at least 20 years (total) and I have known you to be Honest, Respectful, Courteous and Upstanding.

I Apologize for my Horrible Thoughts.

I want to let it be known to all of the "Aquino" Family that my Prize the "Coffee Cup"(Mug) will be handed down and stay with an original "Aquino" family member when I expire.

Using my land Phone I telephoned my Attorney and I asked him to make an Amendment to my last Will and Testament that my prize "The Coffee Cup"(Mug) to go to my "Darling Wife" Petra "Aquino" Tuttle.

Mr. Editor (Ben) if you will leave my Prize "The Coffee Cup"(Mug) with Esther (Neen) Aquino and her "Friend" Al in the Heights that is Agreeable with me. Please tell her not to use it for any Alcohol Beverages or Al's Beer.

You are doing such a wonderful job on the Website

Congratulations to the other "Coffee Cup"(Mug) Winners!

I am so touched and I want to thank you very much!

A Contest winner and Dedicated Neen Tribune Reader

Ralph Garland Tuttle Sr.

My faith in the humanity of the Neen Tribune readers has been restored (temporarily).

Edgar Bergen 1903 Died 1978 Ventriloquist-Voice/Charlie Mc Carthy; F-Muppet Movie+

Louis Calhern 1895 Died-1956; F-Student Prince, Blackboard Jungle, High Society++

Bill Doggett 1916 Father Of The Swinging Organ; "Honky Tonk" '56, "Blip Blop"

James Ingram 1956 - Grammy Winner;"Baby Come To Me"(Love Theme For Tv's General Hospital)

Chester Morris 1901 Died-1970; Nom. Oscar-Alibi ('29); F-The Great White Hope+

A doctor vacationing on the Riviera met an old lawyer friend and asked him what he was doing there.

The lawyer replied, "Remember that lousy real estate I bought? Well, it caught fire, so here I am with the fire insurance proceeds. What are you doing here?"

The doctor replied, "Remember that lousy real estate I had in Mississippi? Well, the river overflowed, and here I am with the flood insurance proceeds."

Today's useless fact - What is the origin of the expression "blue chip"?

Blue chip stocks are typically thought to be the issues floated by the large, reliable, good-return companies -- historically, the General Motors, IBM, Dow Chemical, etc. (bell-wethers all).

We'd be willing to bet (an especially apt figure of speech, as it turns out) that those "blue chip" companies would rather not be asked where the term "blue chip" itself comes from. The phrase dates back to 1904, and comes from the blue chips used as the (everyone sitting down?) ... highest denomination chips in poker games. Poker, as in gambling, as in bet your money and lose your shirt. "Blue chip" stocks today may be the most stable and valuable stocks, but the folks who started using the expression on the Stock Exchange evidently were well aware that the similarities between their enterprise and a high-stakes poker game ran deep.

obstreperous \ob-STREP-uh-russ\ adjective What does it mean? : noisy and hard to control How do you use it? Coming back from the field trip, we were all so rowdy that the bus driver said we were as obstreperous as elephants. Are you a word wiz? "Obstreperous" comes from two Latin parts: "ob-" and "strepere." "Strepere" means "to make a noise." What do you think "ob-" means? A. around B. against C. under D. above Answer: Don't decide against "against"--it's the right answer! As the sum of its two Latin parts, "obstreperous" means literally "to make a noise against." The prefix "ob-" wears many hats. In other words that start with "ob-," it means "in the way." For example, the Latin roots of the verb "obstacle," "ob-" and "stare," mean "to stand in the way or in front of." "Ob-" can also mean "toward," as it does in "obverse." "Obverse" means "facing the observer or opponent," and it comes from the combination of "ob-," meaning "toward," and "vertere," meaning "to turn."

Susan B. Anthony 1820 Dead-Face Is On Silver Dollar. Arrested For Voting In 1872

Claire Bloom 1931 F-Spy Who Came In From The Cold, H-Rod Steiger;F-Islands In The Stream

Harvey Korman 1927 Comic Actor; TV-Danny Kaye Show, Carol Burnett Show, Own Show

Melissa Manchester 1951 Rock Singer-"Bright Eyes", "Midnight Blue", "Nice Girls"

Kevin Mc Carthy 1914 Actor (Villains); Tv-Survivors; F-Death Of A Salesman (Biff)

Cesar Romero 1907 TV-Cisco Kid; Batman (The Joker), F-Strongest Man In The World+

"Amazing. 66 years!" I said. "What's the secret to such a long, happy marriage?"

"Well," he replied, "It's like this. The man makes all the big decisions... and the woman just makes the little decisions."

"Really?" I responded. "Does that really work?"

"Oh, yes," he said proudly. "66 years, and so far, not one big decision!"

Visiting the links in the Lukol Hair Tips category helped us get to the bottom of those unruly tufts of hair that refuse to cooperate. Each hair on our heads leaves its follicle at a "definite and predetermined angle." The characteristic patterns and swirls our hair forms are caused by these angles. A cowlick occurs when these hair "streams" form a spiral pattern, usually circling in a clockwise direction.

Most people cursed with a cowlick or two were born with them. Occasionally, however, someone who has lost their hair due to chemotherapy or illness may find that their new head of hair is marked by the distinctive swirl. These annoying clumps of hair can show up at any place on the head but are most commonly found at the crown (think of Alfalfa from The Little Rascals).

So how can you combat a stubborn cowlick? While some desperate people resort to plastic surgery or electrolysis, your best bet is to use styling products to tame those incorrigible locks of hair.

As for the origin of the curious word, we can only speculate.

eccentric \ik-SEN-trick\ adjective What does it mean? 1 : odd in behavior 2 : being off center How do you use it? Aunt Lily, a rather eccentric member of the family, left her entire fortune to her pet fish, Fluffy, when she died. Are you a word wiz? Judging from what you know about "eccentric," which of the roots below do you think is the origin of "eccentric?" A. Latin "centum," meaning "hundred" B. Old English "cennan," meaning "to make known" C. Latin "cena," meaning "dinner" D. Greek "kentein," meaning "to prick" Answer: It was the Greek word "kentein," meaning "to prick," that gave rise to "eccentric." From "kentein" developed the noun "kentron," meaning "center," as in the center of a circle. The Greeks combined the prefix "ex-," meaning "out of," with "kentron" to form "ekkentros," the grandparent of "eccentric." "Eccentric" does have a meaning of "deviating from a circular path," as in "an eccentric orbit," but it is the "odd" meaning that is most familiar. Perhaps something or someone odd or unusual reminded people of the perfection of a circle becoming skewed. Someone who was eccentric deviated from the normal path, and thus was figuratively "out of center.

First of all, I want to thank all of you that entered the Mug Contest. This one proved to be quite interesting from my view. Here is the list of entrants in the order that they were submitted.

For the winner furthest from the number, Dylan held that with the number 8 until Anthony submitted his number of 998 on Friday. Anthony wins that category.

I'll probably be in the Heights next week so I'll be able to deliver a couple of the mugs directly. Ralph, I'll get yours to you somehow, someway.

Thanks again to all of you that participated. We might have just one more contest for the Mug in the distant future. I'll have to check the stock.

Jack Benny 1894 Died-1974; TV-Own Show, F-To Be Or Not To Be, Charley's Aunt+

Stuart Erwin 1902 Died-1967; 100+ Films; TV (Star)-Trouble With Father, Stu Erwin Show

Phyllis Mc Guire 1931 Singer-The Mcguire Sisters, "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight"

Vic Morrow 1932 Dead 7/23/82; Helicopter Hit Him TV-Combat; F-Blackboard Jungle

Thelma Ritter 1905 Died-1969; Nom. Oscar 6 Times-All About Eve/Mating Season/With A Song

Today's useless fact - Who was Saint Valentine and how did the holiday start? I heard it had a vulgar beginning in Rome.

We didn't find anything vulgar or unseemly in the Lukol Valentine's Day category. But we did uncover some of the myths and legends surrounding this romantic holiday.

The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named Valentine who were martyred on February 14, and all date from very early in the church's history. One was a priest in Rome, another was the bishop of Interamna (modern-day Terni in Italy), and the third died in Africa. Some suggest the first two are the same person. The holiday was inspired by the bishop of Interamna or a combination of the bishop and the priest of Rome.

Many kind, sometimes miraculous acts are attributed to St. Valentine. One of the most popular legends concerns marriage. The reigning Roman emperor, Claudius, was recruiting soldiers to go to war, but many men didn't wish to leave their wives or girlfriends, so the emperor outlawed new marriages. Valentine defied him by secretly marrying couples, which earned Valentine a prison sentence and, ultimately, death. Another tale (sometimes mixed in with the first one) recounts Valentine's stay in prison, during which he cured the jailer's daughter of blindness. He fell in love with the woman and sent her a final letter signed "from your Valentine." This is why lovers call each other their "valentine."

As is the case with many Christian holidays, Valentine's Day probably incorporates some pagan elements. In ancient Rome, February 15 was the start of a major fertility festival called Lupercalia. This festival was dedicated in part to Juno, the patron goddess of women and marriage. During the celebration boys drew girls' names from an urn. Sometimes, these pairings led to a wedding.

When Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire, the old pagan festivals were ended. Many people continued to celebrate them, so the Church attempted to change the pagan elements. For Lupercalia, instead of drawing a future mate's name, children drew the names of saints and were supposed to emulate them for the year. The day of St. Valentine's was conveniently close to the old festival day, thus the pagan celebration evolved into a Christian saint's day. Around the year 498, Pope Gelasius made it official by declaring February 14 St. Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day traditions and stories grew popular over time, particularly in the Middle Ages. The chivalric idea of courtly love fit well with this holiday, and noblemen and women sent love notes and small gifts. By the 17th century, many people in Europe celebrated the holiday. In the Victorian era, mass-produced Valentine's Day cards became available, and they've been a big hit with romantics ever since.

commence \kuh-MENSS\ verb What does it mean? : to bring or come into activity, being, or operation : begin, start How do you use it? "I came out on to the railroad . . . and the rails shone in the spring sun, and I heard the lark and pewee and other birds already come to commence another year with us." (Henry David Thoreau, _Walden_) Are you a word wiz? Which one of these historical events do you think coincides with the period when English-speakers began using "commence"? A. The Polish Golden Age begins (1500s). B. European expeditions to the New World begin (1400s). C. The Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor begins (1300s). D. Genghis Khan's rule in Asia and Eastern Europe begins (1200s). Answer: Start celebrating if you chose C! Speakers of English were first using "commence" in the 1300s, the century during which the Ottoman Empire began. Several other words having to do with beginnings also came into being in that century, including the very common word "start," along with "infancy," meaning the beginning of an existence, and "conception," referring to a beginning and especially the start of a pregnancy. "Beginner," naming someone doing something for the first time, also emerged in the 1300s, as did its synonym "neophyte." "Novelty," meaning "something new or unusual," also got its start in the 1300s.