Page 4 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor July 4, 2013

Touted as the ulti-mate accessory for a man, the watch

is not only a time-telling device, but a fashion state-ment. However, with the ad-vent of the cell phone, watch sales took a dip in the mid-2000s. Who needs a watch when your cell phone or iPod is always in your hand?

Watches, of course, fi rst started as clocks. The fi rst mechanical clock was built in England in 1275. The fi rst clocks were put on public display and did not appear in private residences until

1400, when blacksmiths be-gin making clocks with loud bells for use in the hallways of large mansions.

The Swiss have been on the watch-making scene since 1541. The development of the industry was prompt-ed by reformer John Calvin’s ban on wearing jewelry. In order to survive, Geneva’s many jewelers needed to learn another trade, and they were taught the art of watch-making from French and Italian refugees.

No one knows who cre-ated the fi rst pocket watch,

but it came on the scene in 1574. Interestingly, before 1690 there were

no second hands on a clock and, even after the invention of the second hand, it didn’t become common for many years. By 1700 clock ownership was common; and manufactures were mak-ing all kinds of clocks, from grandfather clocks to small, decorative clocks.

The fi rst wrist watch was made in 1812 for Caroline Murat, Queen of Na-ples. By the end of WWI, everyone was wearing a wrist watch, and since then there have been some watch fashion crazes. For instance, the Swatch, intro-duced in 1983, became the must-have item of the mid-1980s.

Fast forward to March 2013 when a

United Nations study found that more people have cell phones worldwide than toilets. According to an article published in Time magazine, out of the seven billion people on the planet, six billion have access to mobile phones. Phone ownership in the United State hit 91 percent this past June.

Many were ringing the death toll for wrist watches in the mid-2000s. A Bos-ton Globe lifestyle feature called it “an obsolete artifact.” But they were wrong. The wrist watch is benefi ting from pop culture’s obsession with anything retro, and while you may not consider a wrist watch as retro, 20-somethings defi nitely do.

Just as skinny jeans and vinyl have come roaring back into style, the wristwatch is now a must-have fashion

piece, especially for younger men. Of course, new watches aren’t the most popular; it’s the vintage ones that are hot, and this demographic isn’t buying watches to keep track of the time. It’s all about fashion.

There’s even a WikiHow.com article on “How to Wear a Watch.” Those who grew up wearing a watch may fi nd this amusing, but a younger generation who has relied on their cell phones to tell the time, apparently need a little instruction on the proper use and wear-ing of a watch.

So there you have it — that watch on your wrist, purchased in the 1970s, makes you a trendy and fashionable person, not to mention it tells you the time .

Brant Parker (1920 - 2007) and Johnny Hart (1931- 2007) com-bined their talents to produce

“The Wizard of Id.” The popular strip be-gan syndication in November 1964.

Hart had already experienced success in the comic strip world with his “B.C.” comic strip which debuted in 1957 and began syndication in February 1958.

On the other hand, Parker was a new-comer to comic strips. After studying at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles,

Calif., he worked as an illustrator for Walt Disney Studios prior to and, for a short time following, World War II. (He took time off to serve in the U.S. Navy.)

Parker left Disney in 1945, moved to New York, and took a position as politi-cal cartoonist for the Binghamton Press. He met Hart in 1950 while judging

an art contest that the then 18-year-old Hart had entered. He was impressed with Hart’s work, met the young man, and they became fast friends.

The friendship led to the two collabo-rating on “The Wizard of Id.” In the early months of the strip Parker was involved with two other writers in collaborations on strips, but soon gave them up to con-centrate solely on the new strip.

Parker did the drawing for the strip, and the two worked together in creating dialogue.

In 1997 Parker retired, passing his duties on to his son, Jeff Parker, who had been involved with creating the strip for a decade. Hart continued to write dialogue for the strip until his death on April 7, 2007. In an ironic twist Parker died a little more than a week later, on April 15.

“The Wizard of Id” remains popular, appearing in approximately 1,000 news-papers daily.

The format of “The Wizard of Id” can best be described as being gag-a-day, although there are a few “episodes” com-pleted over a period of a few days to two weeks, and in a couple of instances a sto-ryline was created that played out over as many as six weeks. There is also a color edition each Sunday.

The strip is set in the rather shabby and defi nitely oppressed medieval king-dom of Id. It may follow people from any-where in the kingdom, but deals mainly with the “exploits” of the court of a rather under-sized tyrant known as “the King.” It soon becomes plain to regular readers of the strip that the King suffers from a severe case of SPS (Short Person Syn-drome).

The style of humor, which deals with contemporary issues in spite of its me-dieval setting, ranges from dark to pure black (executions are quite common). At times the humor satirizes the culture of America. Anachronisms, which have been deliberately drawn into the strips, are ev-erywhere. For instance, a series of panels depicting a battle with clubs, swords and spears may be followed by one of a peas-ant using an ATM.

The common threads that continually run through the strips are these: the King is a tyrannical ruler, he (and by default, his subjects) run an inept army which is in a constant war with “the Huns,” his kingdom is in the middle of nowhere, peopled by peasants (or idiots as the king prefers to call them) who are unhappy, overtaxed and underpaid for their labors and who see the King living in relative opulence in a castle surrounded by a moat.

Main characters include:The King: An under-sized despot;

“Sire” to his subjects, he is the greediest, most evil man in the kingdom, and yet maintains a wry sense of humor. Jokes referring to his height, or lack of it, are rampant in the strip. He is constantly looking for ways to win votes, or gain power and money. The King is elected to his position, by rigged ballot, of course. He has a thin skin and a short temper (especially about his height), and main characters often fi nd themselves chained to the wall or the rack if they thought-lessly insult the King. He is hated by the peasants, who often shout “The King is a fi nk!” However, he is occasionally shown to have a softer side, and it is mentioned his only friends are the moat monsters. His father, who was king until his son overthrew him, is kept in a tower sur-

rounded by “The King of Id” jack-in-the-box toys — the only gifts his son gives him. His mother works as a charwoman and routinely complains and scolds her son — the only person in the strip who is allowed to do so.

The Wizard (or “Wiz”): The king’s royal wielder of magic, incantations and spells. He is smart and sarcastic, good-natured but cynical, and is constantly dominated by his wife, Blanche — a for-midable woman. He wears a small cone-shaped cap and tunic festooned with stars and crescent moons. From his basement he works over a vat where a friendly spir-it lives. He is capable of powerful spells, but they often backfi re on him. His incan-tations sound something like this: “Fram-min’ at the jim-jam, frippin’ in the krotz.” He is friendly to all the king’s subjects but, like most of them, he secretly consid-ers the king to be a creep (or a fi nk). His 800-year-old mother is a sorceress; every Mother’s Day she receives a cat from her son.

Sir Rodney the Chicken-Hearted: Usually just called “Rodney,” he is the king’s chief knight and head of the forlorn royal army. He is a tall, lanky man of dopey intelligence who wears green chain-mail and carries a spear. He is inept as a warrior, and his troops are just as incom-petent. Rodney is at heart a coward; he is terrifi ed of fi ghting and often pretends to be good at slaying dragons, while in

fact he is said to have once bribed one. He has an enormous nose — the source of many jokes — and is always trying to win the King’s favor. He occasionally works as a spy, wearing a tree costume with a large hole to accommodate his nose.

Spook: A miserable, comical, hapless prisoner who has lived in the dungeon beneath the castle for many years. He is covered with hair; some of his closest friends are the mice and rats that share his cell. His crime, if any, is not clearly defi ned in the strip. On one occasion, when a visiting earl expressed an inter-est in meeting the only person to beat the King at croquet, he is introduced to the Spook. On another occasion he is accused of calling the King a “two bit, four fl ush-ing, dirty, lowdown, indiscriminate clod.” However, most often it is accepted that the King sentenced Spook to a lifetime in the dungeon for calling him a fi nk. He is treated poorly by the system. His best friend is the jailer, Turnkey, who is posted outside his cell. He lives beneath the level of the moat, eating swill. For a hobby, he attempts frequent escapes. He normally tunnels under the walls, only to have his plans ironically cut short. His favorite book is “History’s Great Escapes,” which also happens to be his autobiogra-phy. It is mentioned that his full name is

Wellington J. Fransworth Spookingdorf III. In one episode the King actually let Spook out of his dungeon, but only to be the “fox” in a fox hunt.

Turnkey: The head jailer who runs the dungeons but spends his entire time sitting outside Spook’s cell. In a way their lives are similar — they are both stuck in the same place all day and neither has an important place in the world. He some-times expresses frustration about this to Spook.

Blanche: The Wizard’s wife. It has been said the Wizard married Blanche for her money; she is considered very ugly by everyone in the kingdom. She is also, apparently, a terrible cook, and heads the women’s liberation front in Id. The Wiz-ard is loathe to offer her romance.

I must admit, from the mid 1960s through to about the mid 1980s, when I lost track of “The Wizard of Id,” it was

one of my favorite humorous comic strips. It always amazed me how the creators were able to come up with scenarios for their strips which so closely refl ected the realities, especially the political realities, we all live under.

I offer these as examples:In the Feb. 26, 2009, strip two stable

hands are talking when one asked, “Are we considered rich, poor or middle class?” To which the other replied, “Rich by the government, poor by our wives and mid-dle class by the homeless.”

And in a Jan. 15, 2009, strip one of a group of reporters states to the King, “We’re tired of you tap-dancing around our questions. Why is it your answers have nothing to do with what you’re asked?” To which the King replies, “Yes, I do feel strongly about health care.”

They say there is a grain of truth in all good comedy. How true … How true.

What goes around: The wrist watchSENIOR WISE

My ViewSurveyor Columnist

HeidiKerr-Schlaefer

See you in the funny papers — The Wizard of Id

Surveyor Columnist

RudyHemmann

By Bob McDonnellThe Surveyor

What do Greg Baird, Arleen Corbett, Karen Davis, Carolyn Kiehn, Jack McCarthy, David Mineo, Kent Seburn, Ron and Linda Stugart, John and Marilyn Titus and Sam Waldo and Linda Wren have in common? Yes, they live in or near Berthoud, but they are also volunteer delivery drivers for Meals on Wheels of Loveland-Berthoud (MOW).

The Berthoud volunteers are part of the 300 volunteers who help every weekday, according to the organiza-tions executive director, Liz Harless. In 2011 these volunteers drove more than 76,000 miles doing this service for southern Larimer County.

Overall, volunteers put in an esti-mated 16,000 hours each year. They cook, pack, and take 63,000 meals to some 550 homebound people.

In addition to taking nutritious meals to those who cannot get out, the volunteers also do welfare checks and may also get the mail, clean the walk, or help in other ways.

The MOW volunteers typically take one shift a week. They all gather at the nonprofit organization’s facility at 437 Garfield Ave., in Loveland around 10:30 a.m. They load up, go on their route, and finish sometime around 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Baird had been doing his deliveries for about six or seven years. He does it as “a tribute to my father,” he says. Baird “enjoys everyone on the route.”

Corbett, a five-year volunteer, start-ed as a substitute driver, delivering “all over Loveland and Berthoud.” Speaking of her service, Corbett says she loves it and can’t give up Meals on Wheels.

Waldo, known for being active in many community activities, has been

with Meals on Wheels for 28 years. She agreed with Corbett, saying she, “likes it” and it is “nice to be a part of it.”

Waldo says she met fellow volunteer Linda Wrenn when Wrenn first came to Berthoud. Waldo talked to Wrenn at church and convinced her to volunteer also.

Waldo says she will “continue as long as I can.”

Kiehn, another long-time volunteer, started with MOW in 1974. She noted that the MOW volunteer is “sometimes the only people who stop in” at the re-cipient’s home.

Some of the MOW volunteers are couples. This is true of Kent Sebern and Karen Davis. They became part of Meals on Wheels last March. Kent mentioned that when they get their boxes of meals, there is “not one mis-take.” He credits the staff and kitchen volunteers for getting the right food in both the hot and cold boxes, along with and special dietary meals.

The Stugarts, Ron and Linda, usu-ally deliver on Wednesdays. He does the rural Berthoud route and she does the town route.

Ron says one of the reasons he got involved is that his dad in Loveland had received Meals on Wheels meals.

Even though there are many people who hit the road every weekday to deliver nutritious meals and daily con-

tact, there is always a need for more help.

In addition to meal delivery driv-ers (regular and substitutes), there is also a need for kitchen volunteers and people to do community outreach.

A good candidate should have an interest and commitment to senior hun-ger and health issues. They also need excellent listening and communication

skills, the ability to be non-judgmental and supportive, and the ability to work professionally with a variety of people. MOW asks for at least a one-year com-mitment from their volunteers.

The MOW website (www.loveland-mealsonwheels.org) has more informa-tion. To contact the office, call 970-667-0311 or e-mail at info@lovelandmeal-sonwheels.org.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor July 4, 2013 Page 5

Photo by Bob McDonnellKent Seburn and Karen Davis get their food boxes from the Meals on Wheels kitchen.

Meals on Wheels July menu

3) Spinach Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Milk, Italian Vegetables, Frozen Raspberry Yogurt, Tossed Salad & Italian Dressing4) Hamburger w/ Pickles, Baked Beans, Parsley Carrots, Bun, Milk/Mustard, Catsup, Lettuce, Tomato, WatermelonBerry Coffee Cake 5) Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Broccoli, Bread, Milk, Fruit Cocktail8) Country Captain Chicken, Creamy Polenta, Brussels Sprouts, Bread, Milk, Apricots 9) Chicken Pot Pie, Broccoli, Curried Peaches, Bread, Milk, Pea Salad 10) Pork Stir Fry w/Brown Rice, Oriental Vegetables, Pineapple Mango Crisp, Bread, Milk, Carrot Cranberry Salad 11) Turkey Tabouleh Salad, Italian Vegetable Salad, Cucumbers & Sour Cream, Bread, Milk, Melon Cup 12) Burgundy Beef & Noodles, Cabbage & Apples, Orange Walnut Carrots, Bread, Milk, Plums15) Meat Loaf. Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Creamed Peas, Bread, Milk, Tropical Fruit 16) Spaghetti w/ Italian Sausage and Sauce, Green Beans, Glazed Pineapple, Bread, Milk, Tossed Salad w/ Italian Dressing 17) Salmon w/Dill Sauce, Quinoa Pilaf, Spinach, Bread, Milk, Melon Cup 18) Chicken Tenders w/Apricot Glaze, Curried Brown Rice, Calif. Vegetables, Bread, Milk, Applesauce 19) Pork Roast & Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Braised Red Cabbage, Bread, Milk, Banana22) Chicken Drumstick Mole, Cilantro Rice, Succotash & Edamame, Bread, Milk, Orange Wedges 23) Beef Steak & Mushroom Sauce, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Beets, Bread, Milk, Tropical Fruit24) Hamburger Goulash, Cauliflower & Red Peppers, Cinnamon Apples, Bread, Milk, Three Bean Salad 25) Thai Chicken Noodle Salad, Marinated Cucumbers, Carrot & Pineapple Salad, Bread, Milk, Cantaloupe & Grapes 26) Turkey Loaf, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Fiesta Squash, Bread, Milk, Peaches29) Hawaiian Meatballs, Coconut Rice, Broccoli, Bread, Milk, Pears 30) Pork Carnitas, Oven Browned Potatoes, Mexicorn, Flour Tortilla, Salsa, Milk, Tropical Fruit 31) Krautburger Bake, Parsley Carrots, Hot Fruit Compote, Bread, Milk, Pickled Beets

Are we there yet?A recent 800-mile road trip gave

me time to reflect on how trav-eling used to be “back in the

day.” My wife and I were headed to Iowa for my 50th high school class reunion. Driving through Nebraska gives one time for the mind to wonder a bit.

My thoughts went to family road trips as I was growing up. We weren’t much of a worldly family, but did make it from Iowa to Wisconsin Dells a few times. There was also a trip to the state fair in Des Moines and many trips to my grand-mother’s house.

When we ventured out of familiar sur-roundings, all we had to guide us was a large paper map. As I remember it, these guides were purchased at the local gas station. I also recall that my mother, as

chief navigator, never got the hang of folding the map after each use.

On my latest trek, my wife and I did not have to rely on paper maps. Times have changed. Now with the aid of my car’s GPS (global positioning system) and a “smart phone,” we had many tools at our disposal.

Even though my van is seven years old, the GPS still helps me navigate in un-charted territory. All I had to do was enter my destination. The map and the computer-generated female voice com-mands did the rest.

One gets very familiar with this female voice tell-ing you what to do. (I call her Vanna since the car is a van.) Vanna tells me to “veer right,” “go left at the second turn” or “proceed to the high-lighted area. She doesn’t even get frus-trated if I go off course (i.e., pit stop) but does tell me to “turn around when possible” over and over.

The beauty of this system is that it can tell you how long it is to your destination in both time and distance.

My iPhone also has the ability to do similar mapping, but I like the dashboard built-in screen to see the miles pass.

The phone does have other uses. One is a great applica-tion (app) called Around Me. This gem shows the local res-taurants, bars, hotels, gas sta-tion prices and much more.

As we approached Omaha, our night’s destination, the wonderful phone app told us about the motels near our planned stop. A quick call on the same phone got a room reserved.

Sometimes my GPS com-puter friend Vanna is not perfect. “She got confused as we circled near the area where the motel was supposed to be. A quick call from the car allowed us to be directed by

a real person to our night’s stay. Sorry, Vanna.

Around Me was also very helpful when it was time to refuel. A quick scan showed the price of gasoline at all the outlets in the area.

On the way home we made a lunch stop in Sidney, Nebr. As I ate, I checked the phone. I discovered the gas price per gallon near the interstate were some $.30 more than if I drove a couple of miles closer to town.

Isn’t technology wonderful?

Delivered with care to Berthoud

Surveyor Columnist

BobMcDonnell