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TidbiTs® Goes Back toSchool

by Rick DandesWith the hazy, crazy early days of August behind us, can school be far away? This is the time of year when parents are already starting to think about sending kids back to class, whether it’s college, ele-mentary school or high school. So to make it a little easier on you all, Tidbits makes the grade this week with trivia about all kinds of schools. Enjoy. • Did you know that the prestigious schools of the Ivy League were mostly founded before the Revolutionary War and funded by lotteries? It’s true. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Kings College (Co-lumbia), Dartmouth and Brown Universities were all partially funded, back in the 1700s, by private lotteries. • The oldest university in Canada is general-ly thought to be the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, founded in 1785 as the Provincial Academy of Arts and Sciences.• For those who wonder why it’s Johns Hop-kins University (in Baltimore, Maryland) instead of John Hopkins, the explanation goes way back to the founder of the school. Johns Hopkins (1795-1873) was named after his great-grandmother, Margaret Johns Hopkins. Hopkins was a lifelong bachelor, and when he died, he left most of a huge fortune to found the University and Medical School that now have his name. • During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Canadian families remained the unrivalled setting for education in that country; few children in what was then British North America received formal in-

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DEAR PAWS CORNER: Have you ever covered the topic of hot spots on dogs before? -- Barb, via e-mail

DEAR BARB: I have, although most of the time this pesky condition comes up as part of another topic. Hot spots are surface skin infections that generally look like circular bare patches in a dog’s fur and can be painfully itchy. They sometimes smell bad and ooze pus, but the most common sign of a hot spot is your dog being agitated and constantly scratching, licking or biting the affected area.

Dogs can develop hot spots from scratching flea bites, underneath tangled or matted hair, after swimming at public beaches and more.

Untreated hot spots will spread, and while there are home remedies -- like dabbing a 50/50

Hot Spots are Pesky Skin ConditionBy Sam Mazzotta

vinegar-water solution on the spot a few times daily -- your veterinarian can recommend the most effective treatment. Certainly, if home treatment doesn’t work or your dog’s condition worsens, you should consult a vet.

Prevention -- or management after a bout with hot spots -- is important. After your dog goes swimming, shower it off well, dry as much as possible and wipe the outer part of the ears with a dry cotton ball. Treat regularly for fleas to minimize their impact. Groom your dog regularly -- especially if it has a thick coat -- to prevent his undercoat from getting matted and trapping moisture and bacteria against the skin.

TM

Send your tips, questions and comments to Paws Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-

6475, or e-mail them to pawscorner@hotmail.com

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc..

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It’s Hard to Let Go of Mother’s House

By Samantha Mazzotta

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

“If you have to give your child medicine that he or she doesn’t like, let the child eat half of a Popsicle first. Then give him the medicine, and let him have the other half. This is especially helpful during fevers or with vomiting, when you want to stave off dehydration. Ice pops are easier fluids to ingest, and the cold interrupts the bad taste of the medicine.” -- M.L. in Arkansas

“You can buy fancy hide-a-keys for your home that look like rocks, etc., and have a hidden compartment. But you don’t have to go to the expense if all you want is to have a spare emergency key. Put a copy of your house key in a watertight container, such as a small, plastic Tupperware container, and bury it in a memorable spot. Stick a rock on top to remind you of where it is buried.” -- V.E. in Washington

If your small appliance has a long cord, try looping it and stuffing the excess through a cardboard paper-towel or toilet-paper roll.

Protect the teeth on handsaws by covering them up in storage. Cut a length of garden hose to fit the length of the saw, then split it down the side. Push the teeth of the saw into the split, and your saw -- and you -- are protected.

“Here’s an excellent way to save money: Foster a relationship with your immediate neighbors to form a natural cooperative. You can borrow tools and resources, perform group tasks and share experience. These all build a better community, but they save money too.” -- A.A. in Florida

Ladies, pick up a bottle of inexpensive conditioner to use as shaving cream. It softens and moisturizes while helping you to get a nice shave. -- E.S. in Georgia

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

Q: About a year ago, I sold my mother’s home to a friend of my daughter’s. It is a well-built old farmhouse with a couple of acres and lots of history. My parents added all sorts of personal touches in and around the house, as my father loved woodworking. I’ve visited a few times since then, and I don’t like what my friend is doing to the house. The wood-working shop is filled with junk, some cus-tom shelves were painted over, and he and his three kids don’t keep things very clean. I’m not happy about this. What can I do to get him to take better care of the house? -- Jim H., Gardner, N.H.

A: In a word -- nothing. You sold the house lock, stock and barrel, and the new owner can do pretty much whatever he wants with it.

It sounds like you, or your daughter, has main-tained a friendship with the owner. Broaching this subject -- that you’re not happy with the home’s upkeep -- could strain or break that relationship.

Probably the best you can do is keep telling stories about the house when you visit. Like, “my mother used that shelf there to put up jam.” Or a little bit about the history of the woodwork installed around the house. The new owner probably will appreciate know-ing more about the place -- if not now, in the future -- and might develop a sense that he should preserve some of that history.

Then again, he may not. It’s entirely his deci-sion.

HOME TIP: Have a few empty prescrip-tion bottles lying around? Remove the la-bels and use them to hold different sizes of screws, nails or other hardware.

struction either from tutors or in schools.• Although Thomas Jefferson had supported the concept of free public education, elementary schooling was only available to America’s wealthy until the 1840s. That’s when reformers like Hor-ace Mann of Massachusetts and Henry Barnard of Connecticut began to push for tax-funded schools with the belief that universal education would pro-duce good citizens, unite society, prevent crime and end poverty.• Until the 1930s, most Americans only completed eight years of school. High School only became popular during the Great Depression, when job-strapped communities saw benefits to keeping teenagers in class and out of the workforce where they’d only serve as low-cost competition to adults.• Founded in 1878 by Bishop Isaac Hellmuth and the Anglican Diocese of Huron, the University of Western Ontario is one of Canada’s oldest and best universities. The first students graduated in arts and medicine in 1883.• Remember James Meredith? The Univer-sity of Mississippi gained national attention when it denied admission to James Meredith, an African American, who applied in 1961. He took the case to court, won, and started classes at Ole Miss in 1963. What many people don’t know is that he suc-cessfully graduated in 1964 and has been a sup-porter of Ole Miss ever since.• 74.9 million: That’s the number of people enrolled in school throughout the United States — from nursery school to college. To put this in per-spective, this amounts to more than one-fourth of the U.S. population age 3 and older.• Of the approximately 7.2 million teachers in the United States, 2.9 million work at elemen-tary and middle school levels. On average, me-dian annual wages of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers ranged from $47,100 to $51,180 in May 2008; the low-est 10 percent earned $30,970 to $34,280; the top 10 percent earned $75,190 to $80,970. The average hourly wage for other school workers? Bus driv-ers earn $16.56 an hour, custodians earn $14.19 an hour, and cafeteria workers earn about $11.60 an hour.• The average number of children partici-pating each month in the United States’ national school lunch program in 2009 was 31.3 million. That’s a lot of milk.• America’s total apple production estimate in 2009 was 20.11 billion pounds, up four percent from 2007. The chances are good that the apples your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington State, which ac-counts for more than half of the nation’s total pro-duction.

SCHOOL (continued):

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G lfBits Play better golf with JACK NICKLAUS

In 1936, Brooklyn catcher Babe Phelps hit .367, but was sec-ond in the race for the N.L. batting title. Which future Baseball Hall of Famer beat him out?

Entering 2010, how many consecutive major-league seasons had Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki collected at least 200 hits?

True or false: Brett Favre has had two losing seasons as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Two Big Ten players won the John Wood-en Award during the 1990s as the top male college basketball player. One was Glenn Robinson of Purdue (1994). Who was the other one?

In 2010, Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff moved into third place on the list of most games coached with one NHL franchise (984). Who are the top two on the list?

Name the first U.S. woman to win a world title in the luge.

Which golfer holds the PGA record for most consecutive tournaments won?

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

DR. DONOHUE: What causes sunspots? They appear even when we have not been exposed to the sun. -- Anon.

ANSWER: The sun has nothing to do with sunspots. A fungus is their cause. The fungus depigments patches of skin so they are lighter than the surrounding skin. The sun comes into play only because it darkens the surrounding skin and the spots stand out like a sore thumb.Selenium sulfide and fungal medicines like Lotrimin, Naftin and Tinactin can usually dislodge the fungus. The depigmented skin stays light for quite some time, and people believe the medicines have not worked. In time, pigmentation returns.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 76. I am the fifth of eight boys. Three had the shingles. Our parents are gone. I want to get the shingles vaccine, but was told by friends that you cannot get the shot if you did not have chickenpox. I don’t remember whether I had chickenpox. -- P.DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I recovered from shingles a few years ago. After hearing many horror stories about shingles, I wonder if I should consider getting the vaccine to prevent another outbreak. -- J.V.

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Fungus, Not Sun, Causes SunspotsANSWER: Almost every older American has been infected with the chickenpox virus, whether or not they can remember having had the illness. That indicates that almost all older Americans still harbor the chickenpox virus in their nerve cells. In later years, the virus escapes from nerve cells and travels down the nerve to the skin, where it brings about an outbreak of shingles. Therefore, all older people qualify for the shingles vaccine, regardless of their ability to remember having had chickenpox.Authorities recommend that those who have had a shingles outbreak get the vaccine. It is true that a shingles outbreak affords some protection against a second outbreak, but return visits from the shingles virus do occur, so, J.V., you qualify for the vaccine.Shingles is a painful experience, and the pain can last long after the rash has gone. The shingles booklet explains this common problem and how it’s treated. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 1201W, 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: I am sick and tired about all this exercise talk. What proof exists that it is such a health boon? I am not into exercise, have never been into it and probably will never be into it. Can you say with a straight face that proof really exists that exercise extends life? -- R.R.

ANSWER: Yes, I can. And I can do so with a straight face. The studies that show exercise improves health are too numerous to cite. A recent study showed that men (although no women were included in the study, I am sure it applies equally to them) who increased the intensity and frequency of physical exercise had their mortality cut in half from a control group that did not exercise. Consistent exercise bestows the same health benefits that come from not smoking.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Page 5Support Community Sustainability-Shop & Hire Locally-Tell Them Tidbits® Sent You!

Before H. Ross Perot became a successful businessman -- and had a brief, somewhat less successful career as a politician -- he broke horses for a living.

Statistics show that three out of four married women over the age of 50 are on their second marriage. In the same age range, five out of six men are in the same marital situation.

Fireflies start to glow in order to attract a mate, and they die soon after finding one.

Experienced boot makers reportedly can get three pairs of the footwear out of a single ostrich hide.

When you sneeze, the air leaves your mouth at approximately 100 mph.

Thought for the Day: “Anybody who has listened to certain kinds of music, or read certain kinds of poetry, or heard certain kinds of performances on the concertina, will admit that even suicide has its brighter aspects.” -- Stephen Leacock

By Samantha Weaver

It was American drama critic and author John Mason Brown who made the following sage observation: “Reasoning with a child is fine if you can reach the child’s reason without destroying your own.”

The first Wal-Mart was located in the town of Rogers, Ark. When it opened in 1962, it had a total of 16,000 square feet of space. Today, there are Wal-Mart Supercenters all over the United States, and they measure at least 100,000 square feet and can range up to 220,000 square feet.

The original Maytag company was known for making horse-drawn buggies rather than appliances.

The word “pretzel” comes from the Latin word for “little reward.”

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania conducted a joint study on Americans’ weight. They concluded that if current trends continue, 86 percent of adults in this country will be obese by 2030.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.• In the fall of 2009, a record of nearly 49.8 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools in America. Of these, almost 35.0 million were in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and 14.8 million in grades 9 through 12. An additional 5.8 million students attended private schools in 2009.• The per-pupil expenditure on public el-ementary and secondary education for the United States in 2007 was almost $10,000. New York spent the most among states or state equivalents ($15,981), followed by New Jersey ($15,691) and the District of Columbia ($14,324). Utah ($5,683) spent the least per student, on average.• Education pays off. According to a recent study reported in U.S. News & World Report, col-lege graduates earn an average $20,000 a year more than people who only have a high school diploma. So get a degree.• In the fall of 2009, a record 18.4 million students were expected to attend America’s 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, an increase of about 3.1 million since fall 2000.• Females were expected to comprise the majority of those college students, numbering about 10.5 million compared to 7.9 million males in fall 2009. Although the majority of students will attend full time (an estimated 11.4 million for fall 2009), about 7.0 million are expected to attend part time.• Go Buckeyes. The largest college campus in the United States by enrollment is Ohio State University, in Columbus, which in the fall of 2009 enrolled 55,014 students. No wonder their football games are sellouts; think of all the students on cam-pus.• The most expensive college in America by tuition is Middlebury College in Vermont, with an annual tuition of $43,690. The most expensive college, when figuring tuition along with housing, books, clothing, etc., is Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, N.Y., with yearly costs computed to be $54,410.• In addition to graduates, all kinds of inter-esting things come out of colleges. At Rutgers Uni-versity in New Jersey, scientists developed Cheez Wiz, a college delight and student staple if there ever was one. • Royal Roads University is the only Cana-dian university to offer its MBA program in Manda-rin. Considering China’s massive economy, that’s a wise choice.

SCHOOL (continued):

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Tidbits® Recommends:A great family after-noon in Aspen:• Rio Grande Trail• Hunter Creek Trail• Play at Heron Park• Play Frisbee at Rio Grande Park

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Q: Christopher Walken has always been a favorite of mine, and I wonder what is

coming up in his future, project-wise? -- Elva P., Fort Worth, Texas

A: The versatile 67-year-old actor has many big-screen movie projects

in the works, including “The Irishman,” “Life’s a Beach,” “A Girl and a Gun” and “Wild Oats,” the latter of which just started filming and is a comedy co-starring Christina Ricci, Shirley MacLaine and Bill Pullman. While Christopher is an excellent dramatic actor, I love to see him cut-up in a comedy, so “Wild Oats” is one I’m especially looking forward to.

***

Q: I finally rented “The Cove” and was disgusted and heartbroken to witness the

slaughter of those beautiful dolphins. Since the movie came out, have things gotten better over there in Japan? -- Julia S., West Palm Beach, Fla.

A: I spoke with Ric O’Barry, longtime dolphin activist and subject of the award-winning

documentary “The Cove.” He is sad to report that the slaughter and capture of wild dolphins still occurs, albeit on a “lesser” scale.

“The dolphin slaughter begins Sept. 1 and goes through March,” he said. “During that period last year in that the town of Taiji, the mayor and the city council implemented a no-kill policy. They were bringing dolphins in and capturing them for the dolphin swim program -- the dolphin-captivity industry. But they let about 300 of them go. They still kill pilot whales, but they stopped killing bottle-nosed dolphins, probably thinking, ‘That will appease them.’ But we don’t know what’s

going to happen come this Sept. 1.”

You can track Ric and his son, Lincoln’s, progress on this hot-button issue on Animal Planet’s “Blood Dolphins.” The premiere episode airs Aug. 27 (with an encore Sept. 3), and parts two and three air Sept. 10 and 17, respectively.

Q: I just saw Natasha Henstridge in the TV movie you recommended, “The

Devil’s Teardrop,” and I really liked it. What are some other things I can see her in? -- Lindsay D., via e-mail

A: Natasha told me that, while she is mulling over different

projects at the moment, the next thing you can see her in is the Aug. 29 episode of Lifetime Television’s hit “Drop Dead Diva.” As Natasha explained: “I get to stir up some trouble. I play Claire Harrison, who is the partner of the law firm with J Parker -- Parker & Harrison. So J Parker and Claire Harrison have some history, and I go over there and make some trouble, both businesswise and personally.”

Q: I recently watched a movie called “The Last of the Dogmen,” starring Tom

Berenger, and it got me to wondering what he’s been up to lately. -- Mary W., Southbury, Conn.

A: Tom can be seen on the big screen -- and in 3-D -- in the summer blockbuster

“Inception.” (FYI: So far, this is my favorite movie of the summer.) His movie “Sinners and Saints” also is touring the festival circuit.

Christopher Walken

(c) 2010 King Features Synd.,

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TIDBITS® MUSIC HALL OF FAMER

Bob DylanBorn Robert Allen Zimmerman, Bob Dylan is perhaps the best known and best loved of all American singer-songwriters. • Robert Allen Zimmerman’s birth date is thought to be May 24, 1941. But a passport is-sued to Robert Dylan in 1974 says his birth date is May 11, 1941. So which is it Bob? • Dylan was scheduled to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on May 12, 1963. He was going to sing “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues.” But dur-ing the dress rehearsal, he was told that “John Birch” was deemed too controversial by net-work censors, and program producer Bob Pre-cht, whose idea it was to invite Dylan on the show, asked him to sing another song. Dylan declined and did not appear.• In August 1969, Dylan made his first paid public performance since July 26, 1966, when he broke his neck in the crash of his Tri-umph 500 motorcycle. Backed by the Band, he performed in front of 200,000 people at England’s Isle of Wight festival. He was paid $75,000 for a 70-minute performance.• In 1967, while recuperating from his motorcycle accident, Dylan signed with MGM Records, home of the Righteous Brothers, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Connie Francis and the late Hank Williams. MGM withdrew the contract, and Dylan signed with Columbia.• Dylan won his first Grammy in 1980 for best rock vocal performance for the religious-oriented “Gotta Serve Somebody.” • Dylan’s reputation as a songwriter is larger than his record sales. His best-selling album is “Greatest Hits” (1967), which sold between 2 million and 3 million copies. The runner-up is “Greatest Hits - Vol. II” (1971), selling one million copies. Columbia Records doesn’t re-lease sales figures, but a press release said Vol. II is nearing double-platinum status. The next bestsellers are “Desire” (‘76) and “Blood on the Tracks” (‘75).

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Answers:1. Paul “Big Poison” Waner hit .373 that year.2. Nine entering 2010.3. False. He has had only one losing season (4-12 in 2005).4. Calbert Cheaney of Indiana in 1993.5. Al Arbour of the New York Islanders (1,500 games) and Billy Reay of Chicago (1,012).6. Erin Hamlin, in 2009.7. Byron Nelson won 11 in a row in 1945.

Go To RockyMountainTidbits.com and click on Lynne Billac for

Up-To-Date Financial News

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation puts out a free quarterly newsletter for consum-ers. The latest edition includes:

• An overview of consumer protections on credit cards. The article lists eight pitfalls to avoid, including keeping an eye on your credit limit, periodically using all your credit cards (only keeping the ones you really need) and staying vigilant about your interest rate when it comes to fixed versus variable-rate cards. In addition to the new changes to credit-card fees, the Federal Reserve Board is considering a new rule that would ban card issuers from charging penalty fees in excess of the amount in question on a consumer’s bill. This would include over-the-limit fees and late-payment fees. Keep an eye on this one as final decision is to be made near the end of August 2010. Check www.federalreserve.gov for updated information.

• The risks and costs of borrowing with a re-verse mortgage. Aimed at seniors, this article covers the many potential pitfalls of taking out a reverse mortgage. One point the article makes is that not all reverse mortgages have the protection of the government.

FDIC Consumer Newsletter• Questions to ask when brokers or agents make deposits for you. If you have a bro-kerage account, a broker there may make a deposit for you or purchase a Certificate of Deposit in your name. The concern is wheth-er the money is going into an account at a financial institution protected by the FDIC. Another concern is about protection of your existing funds. If, for example, your money is put into a bank where you already have funds and that new amount takes your bal-ance over the protected limit, you won’t be completely covered. The reason: The new amount is added to your existing balance.

The FDIC consumer newsletter can be ac-cessed online or a paper copy can be mailed directly to you. You can receive e-mail no-tifications that online issues are available, and news stories can be downloaded to your MP3 player. Archive editions also are avail-able online. Additionally, if you have e-mail, you can opt to receive the “Consumer Tip of the Week,” practical tips to help you stay informed about consumer-finance issues. Check online at www.fdic.gov or call 1-877-275-3342 to subscribe.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

Bob Dylan (continued):

• Dylan was not a big hit-maker either. None of his singles ever reached No. 1 on Bill-board’s pop chart. “Like a Rolling Stone” (‘65) peaked at No. 2, as did “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (‘66).

• Three Dylan songs begin with nearly the same line, “Early in the morning.” The songs are “Obviously Five Believers,” “Pledging My Time” and “Tangled Up in Blue” (which actu-ally starts “early one morning”).

• Dylan’s harmonica is heard on records by Harry Belafonte, George Harrison, Steve Goodman, Roger McGuinn, Booker T. and Priscilla Jones, Doug Sahm, Carolyn Hester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Sly & Robbie.

• Dylan had a rule that he only recorded music at night. He would show up to the studio around 9 p.m. and work until the early hours of morning Occasionally his band would re-cord music pieces during the day and try to get Dylan to listen to them.

• The Minnesota Historical Society lists 97 Dylan items in its reference library. Includ-ed are a 1987 Ph.D. thesis by a Purdue Uni-versity student, five fanzines, 17 books and articles published in Germany, one children’s book and Dylan’s original, hand-written lyric sheet for “Temporary Like Achilles,” a 1966 song on the album “Blonde on Blonde.” The most interesting title in the society’s collec-tion is “Mysteriously Saved: An Astrological Investigation into Bob Dylan’s Conversion to American Fundamentalism,” by John Ledbury.

The Tidbits® Paper is a Division of Tidbits Media, Inc. • Montgomery, AL 36106(800) 523-3096 • E-mail: tidbits@tidbitsmedia.com • All Rights Reserved ©2008

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PICKS OF THE WEEKMovies due out the week of August 23rd, 2010

There aren’t any major movie releases this week, but “Boy, Howdy” are there some awesome TV series boxed sets coming out.

Lost: The Complete Sixth & Final Season/Lost: The Complete Collection (Unrated) -- Two huuuuge

releases for Losties this week: The final season’s boxed set and a massive, goody-laden collection of the complete series. The Season 6 set is just about what you’d expect: All the episodes, audio commentaries, bloopers, deleted scenes, a couple of supplemental featurettes, plus the much-hyped coda featuring the adventures of Hugo and Ben Linus after the events of the finale as they take on the

job of being caretakers of the island.“The Complete Collection” is more than just a boxed set of all six seasons. It’s 38 discs (one of which contains all-new never-before-seen content); more than 30 hours of bonus material; plus, a replica of the island, episode guide, an ankh, black light and a playable Senet game with black and white stones.The packaging of “The Complete Collection” is simply awesome. Of course, Awesome comes at a

price, so expect to pony up anywhere from $150 to $230.

Pawn Stars: Season Two (Unrated) -- Just about everyone has their reality-show guilty pleasure. Some folks get their kicks with the guidos on the “Jersey Shore,” but for my money, I’ll take Las Vegas and the Harrison clan. The History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” is the perfect storm of kitsch, white-trash drama and High Weirdness. It’s like “Antiques Roadshow” made a baby with the gang from “American Chopper.”Every Monday night, a parade of desperate individuals enter the Harrisons’ pawn shop. Some have odd or interesting stuff to sell, like an antique barber chair or a rare coin or pinball machine, or vintage Army flamethrower. Others bring in things -- like the legendary Taj Mahal Treasure -- that make you ask, “Why are these idiots trying to sell this at a pawn shop instead of auctioning it off at Christies?” It’s this bizarre mix of the mundane, odd and outright mind-blowingly ridiculous that makes “Pawn Stars” one of the most entertaining reality shows on TV. The Season Two set contains all 32 episodes and some bonus footage.

MORE TV SERIES“The Simpsons” The Complete Thirteenth

Season“Flight of the Conchords” The Complete

Collection“90210” The Complete Second Season

“Gossip Girl” The Complete Third Season “NCIS: Season Seven”

“Ghost Hunters International” Season 1, Part 2 “Yoo Hoo Mrs. Goldberg”

“The Patty Duke Show” Season Three“Ax Men” The Complete Season 3

“Ancient Aliens” The Complete Season 1“Gangland” Complete Season 5

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

Terry O’Quinn as John Locke in “Lost”

as their dens, which are occupied by most spe-cies during the winter for a long period of sleep, some up to three to five months. This period is often called hibernation but is not true hiberna-tion. Today, scientists prefer to call bears’ winter nap “denning.”• Panda bears weigh about 250 pounds. The av-erage lifespan of a panda bear is 20 to 30 years. Curiously, they do not sleep during the winter as other bear species do. The panda was actually

not officially considered a bear until 1995. • The giant panda is universally loved, but this peaceful animal faces many dangers. Its popula-tion is small and isolated, as its traditional forest habitat in southwest China’s mountainous areas becomes more fragmented. The government has set up more than 30 reserves, but habitat de-struction and poaching continue to pose a threat.• The size of bears varies, according to species. They can reach a height of 6-and-a-half-feet tall; they can weigh 600 pounds or more. • The grizzly bear is not endangered, but it is a

threatened species. The grizzly bear, on average, weighs between 300 to 800 pounds. Some, of course, are larger than that. • The polar bear is the largest land carnivore in the world. The average adult male weighs between 850 to 900 pounds (380 to 400 kilo-grams).• The sloth bear has long shaggy hair and weighs an average of 120 to 310 pounds (54 to 141 ki-lograms).• The diet of bears varies according to their hab-itat and can consist of meat and plants.• Male bears are referred to as boars or he-bears. A female is called a sow or she-bear. Their off-spring, or a baby bear, is called a cub. • The average size of a litter of cubs is four.• Bears tend to mark their territory by clawing, biting and rubbing trees.

The “Bear” eSSenTialSAlthough there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the North-ern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe and Asia.• Since prehistoric times, bears have been hunt-ed for their meat and fur. To this day, they play a prominent role in the arts, mythology and other cultural aspects of various human societies.• The eight species of bears are: Malayan Sun Bear, Sloth Bear, Spectacled Bear, American Black Bear, Brown Bear or Grizzly Bear, Polar Bear, Asiatic Black Bear and Panda Bears.• The collective name for a group of bears is a sleuth or sloth, but with the exceptions of court-ing individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They are generally active during the day (diurnal), but may be active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular), particularly around hu-mans. • Bears have an excellent sense of smell, and despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they can run quickly and are adept climbers and swimmers. • Black bears are particularly good tree climbers as well as swimmers. And they are pretty good runners, at up to 30 miles per hour. • Bears use shelters such as caves and burrows