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TIDBITS® BRINGS YOU SOMEBRAIN-Y FACTS

by Kathy Wolfe

It’s amazing to ponder that a small three-pound organ controls a person’s entire body! Take some time to consider these facts about the hu-man brain, brought to you this week by Tidbits.

• There are about 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain, which gather and transmit signals. That’s about the same number of stars there are in our galaxy! It’s these nerve cells that compose what is often referred to as “gray matter.” About 100 trillion connections exist among those cells, and not one neuron touches another one. These connections are known as synapses, and they allow the infor-mation to fl ow from one neuron to another. Each nerve cell can have up to 40,000 synaps-es.

• Changes in the synapses are associated with learning and retention of information. Each time you form a memory of some type, a new connection is created. When synapses deterio-rate, memory loss and changes in brain func-tion often occur. Studies indicate that people who perform mentally stimulating tasks are less likely to develop dementia. Researchers have determined that stress interferes with transmission, and nerve cells actually shrink from the effects of stress. Deterioration has also been linked to drug use and excessive alcohol consumption, as well as the chemicals in certain pesticides. turn to page 3 for more!

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You may remember the popular 1990’s night-time drama Melrose Place. In the middle of the ensuing decade, a small and dedicated group of local entrepreneurs took on the mis-sion of transforming the curvy stretch of 7th Avenue between Indian School and Camel-back Roads into a destination place for shop-ping, services, and good food. Not far from the bustle of 7th Street and the increasingly swank Central Avenue lies Central Phoenix’s lesser-known thoroughfare, known variously as M7, The Melrose District, Melrose on 7th, or simply The Curve.

Looking for an alternative to higher rents to the east, the owners of four local businesses came together in 2005 and began planning on ways to continue to revitalize the area, a task started in 1997 with the founding of the Sev-enth Avenue Merchants Association. Drawn in by the idea that the area was undervalued and had great potential, the owners of Figs Home & Garden, Wag ‘n Wash Healthy Pet Center, Melrose Pharmacy, and Copper Star Coffee decided to take matters into their own hands and lead the charge to give the area a new identity as a destination point, along with a new brand: The Melrose Shopping District.

In addition to a beautifi cation project which most notably resulted in some of the cit-ies most artistically inspired bus stops, the association is responsible for the tag line “shop the curve” and have done much to give the street and surrounding neighbor-hood a positive identity. As a resident of the neighborhood myself, I can attest to the large numbers of antique collectors that come out on the weekends in search of treasure, espe-cially when the weather is nice. Within this one-mile stretch one can also get a variety of tasty food, including Mexican, Native Ameri-

can, Italian, a six-topping breakfast burrito, or some of the smoothest and most favorable coffee you’ll fi nd anywhere. There are places to tend to grooming for yourself or your pet, to maintain your car or tune up your bicycle, see the neighborhood pharmacist, shop for groceries, and soon residents will be able to get their workout in at a major health club that will be occupying much of the northwest corner of 7th Ave and Camelback.

To be sure this is an ongoing process. Jon Douglas, an instrumental member of the association’s leadership structure, estimates the job is only 85% complete. They are looking to continue with more neighborhood ID projects, and hope to continue to add quality locally owned businesses as tenants and anchor stores. You might say they have been transforming the area one strip mall or vacant corner lot at a time. There are plans to eventually link to Central Ave by developing along the north side of Camelback Road in between 7th Ave and Central.

With the light rail letting off at the top of the curve, more people can fl ock here from various parts of the valley with ease. With recent population trends seeing more people in many major cities moving from suburban to urban locales, this neighborhood move-ment stands to benefi t from the increased talent and energy that generally comes with an infl ux of diverse people. David Clarke, Douglass’s partner at Figs Home and Garden summed up the feelings of the merchants of Melrose, “The cool thing with all of this is that we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” The hope is that this sentiment will continue to be felt by residents and visitors alike, making this Melrose truly a place to be in the heart of the city.

The Melrose District

This Desert Life By Mark Nicholas

Fool for the City I’ve spent most of my life living in the big city, having been born and raised in Southern California and living most of my adult life in vari-ous parts of the Valley of the Sun. I am now a proud resident of Central or Uptown Phoenix, living near the major crossroads of Central and Camelback, and, having taught for a number of years at Arizona School for the Arts, I have spent considerable time downtown. I’ve also spent considerable time in small towns, including a two year stretch living in a town of 5000 people in the Midwest. So while I am a city mouse, I understand the perspective and per-ceptions of the country mouse. Life in the big city is often portrayed as one fraught with anonymity and traffi c, pollution, and crime. People who keep to themselves and streets full of men in gray fl annel suits intent only on making it through the day and escaping to

the security of gated communities. Well I’m here to attest to the fallacy of this image of the big city. Phoenix may now be the nation’s fi fth larg-est city, but that doesn’t mean it’s the cold, anony-mous place that those from smaller communities might imagine it to be. I am now in my third decade as a Phoenician, and I’ve seen tremendous growth and change over this time. When I fi rst moved here in the late 80’s, rush hour traffi c was an actual hour. There were only three major freeways, I-10 didn’t yet connect through the center of town, and much of what are now the suburbs were still cotton fi elds and pristine desert. The Suns and the Phoenix Cardinals were the only pro sports teams in town. America West Arena and Bank One Ballpark had yet to be built and go through subsequent name changes. In short, Phoenix has joined the big leagues over the past few decades, yet it in many ways has still retained the charm and advantages of a smaller com-munity, especially in the heart of the big city. Far from the perception of anonymity, my partner and I are recognized when we enter our favorite spots. I imagine the same holds true for most locals; we get to know the people we see on a regular basis at our favorite coffee shops, delis, grocery stores, restaurants, or retail establishments.

Far from the perception of city folks mostly keeping to themselves, we are constantly striking up conver-sations about various topics with interesting people. People in the city are generally friendly, helpful, concerned... all the qualities that country folk often like to think are reserved for them alone. Central and Downtown Phoenix offer residents and visitors a plethora of local din-ing, drinking, and retail establishments; the mom and pop shop is certainly alive and well, as is the hometown spirit that makes living in any area more enjoyable. The strategically placed light rail allows locals greater access to the sports and entertainment complexes and other gathering spots that make for a unique urban experience. The diversity of the area brings an energy that is palpable, and adds greatly to the experience of city life. We may lack the history and tradition of older cities, and try as we might we can’t do much about the summer heat, but there is a richness to life in the city that isn’t found anywhere else. Shakespeare wrote that the people are the city, and Aristotle believed the purpose of the city to be the promotion of the good life. The fools for this city will no doubt continue to enjoy and promote this good life in our daily actions, conversations, and involvement with the place we proudly call home.

NOMINATE YOUR HIDDEN GEMDo you have a favorite spot in Central or Downtown Phoenix that you want to share? Perhaps a local eating establish-ment, a favorite retail store, the salon that makes you look years younger, the gym or studio where you practice your fi tness routine, or the repair shop you know and trust. Help spread the word about your favorite hidden gem. Write to us at info@tidbitsofphoenix.com and briefl y tell us about a favorite local establishment. We will pick some of your spots to shine the local spotlight on in future issues. Read Tidbits and help get the word out about the cool spots that make Phoenix a city like no other.

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Drs. Ozand

Roizen

IS THAT ROMANCE IN THE AIR?; HOW TO STOP SCHOOL-

BASED BULLYING

BY MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D., AND MEHMET OZ, M.D.

Q: I’ve been reading about phero-mone singles parties in California in which people sniff stinky clothing to select who they’ll get matched with. Have I been go-ing about my dating routine all wrong? -- Frederica G., Chicago

A: Humans have all kinds of animal instincts (and stinks) we prefer to ignore or suppress, and smell is certainly one of them. In North America alone we spend about $2.5 billion on deodorants and antiperspirants every year. But even in our sweat-suppressed, nose-weakened state, humans produce and respond to pheromones -- aromatic hor-mones secreted by the body that stimulate certain behaviors. (We both -- as advocates of body chemistry’s communication pow-ers -- think it’s better to avoid the sweat-suppressing formulas used in deodorants.) Men’s sweat smell raises women’s cortisol levels, interesting because that’s a “fight or flight” hormone. Women who live together seemingly synchronize their menstrual periods through smell cues. And human sexual behavior and fertility seem influ-enced by particular scents. But do aromas make for the sweet smell of romantic success? Sticking your nose in a plastic bag containing a T-shirt that a potential date slept in for three nights (that’s the gimmick at these get-togethers) may let you know if he or she is a smoker (a total turn off) or wears cologne you hate. But that’s a long way from finding a soul mate. An enduring relationship is one of the building blocks of lifelong better health: Paired-up people live longer (co-habitation motivates good choices!) and have more frequent sex. They survive serious illnesses better, and they’re less stressed, which has cardiovascular and psychological benefits. So what’s the key? Find activities you enjoy (from cycling to reading), and join groups of like-minded people. Physi-cal activity boosts body image and dispels anxiety. And if you want to check out this latest dating game, you might find other people there who are as curious-minded as you -- and have a good sense of humor.

Q: My 10-year-old son has dys-lexia and ADHD and takes several medi-cations to help him concentrate and read better. I think he’s getting bullied at school. He won’t admit it, but he comes home sad a lot. His teachers seem clueless. What can I do? -- Lucinda M., Reston, Va.

A: Great question, and one that parents everywhere, whether their child is bullied or not, should be talking about at

PTA meetings and at home. In your situ-ation, the first step is to make your child feel safe enough to talk about what’s going on. That comes from his knowing it’s not his fault (kids so often blame themselves) and knowing that you -- and his teachers -- will stick up for him. So talk to your child about what’s going on and find ways for him to tell you and his teachers when it happens. Maybe talk about it casually as you go for a walk or a bike ride. Next, try to get the school in-volved in an anti-bullying campaign. There’s a successful initiative in Alberta, Canada -- the Teasing and Bullying Unac-ceptable Behaviour (TAB) program that gets results with 4th-6th graders who don’t understand about kids with differences. In this case, the difference is stuttering (but any attribute will work). Kids who under-stood the problem or knew someone, such as a family member, who stuttered were less likely to bully. The kids who didn’t know anything about stuttering or anyone who stuttered were the most likely to make fun of “different” kids. The really great news? After go-ing through TAB, potential bullies showed the biggest attitude change. Once they learned that stuttering was involuntary and how bullying really hurt their schoolmate, friend or even sibling, the bullying became socially unacceptable. A lot of bullies are what research-ers call “dually involved”; they’ve been bullied too. For those children, it usually starts at home. That’s why establishing a school-based program is good for every-one. * * *

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Submit your health questions at www.doctoroz.com.

(c) 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN-Y FACTS (continued):

• Information is processed by your brain at speeds up to 268 miles per hour (120 meters per second). There are more electrical impulses generated in a single day by the brain than by all the world’s telephones. The brain’s energy is sufficient to illuminate a 25-watt light bulb. • The two hemispheres of the brain are bridged by the corpus callosum, tissue that enables the two parts to communicate. This part of the brain is 11 percent larger in those people who are ambidextrous — able to write with both hands. • The cerebellum, located at the base of the skull, coordinates muscle movements and balance. Impairment in this area results in the loss of ability to walk or reach out and grab something.• Your brain uses 20 percent of all the blood circulating throughout your body. It flows through the 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain. All it takes is eight to 10 seconds of lack of blood to the brain for you to lose consciousness. • The brain also uses 20 percent of all the oxygen we breathe. It can live for four to six minutes without oxygen before damage begins to occur. Lack of oxygen for five to 10 minutes will result in permanent damage.• The horseshoe-shaped hippocampus is crucial in the process of transferring short-term memory into long-term memory. It’s responsible for forming, organizing and sorting memories. • The brain begins to shrink in mass by about 0.25 percent a year after age 30. By age 80, as much as 20 percent of the nerve connections in the hippocampus may have been lost. Only 30 percent of 80-year-old brains perform as well as those of young adults. Continued on page 7

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Tidbits® of Phoenix Page 4

THE HOMETOWN TEAMS

A Farewell to Arms. As Phoenix bids farewell to long-time floor general Steve Nash, the reac-tion among fans has been mixed, with many regretting that #13 was traded to the Suns bitter rival. Nash has switched numbers for the LA Lakers, who have retired the number 13 worn by Wilt Chamberlin. Here are some numbers compiled by Nash over his memorable career that speak for themselves:

*Nash was originally drafted by Phoenix in the first round (#15 overall) in 1996. *Served two stints with Phoenix, with a pro-ductive run in Dallas in between. *8-time NBA All-Star and 2-time league MVP*One of only ten players in league history to win back-to back MVP awards. *Nash and Magic Johnson are the only two point guards to win multiple MVP’s. *Led Suns to back-to-back appearances in Western Conference finals and 3 total in last 8 years.

*The Suns failed to win 30 games the year before Nash’s return. Phoenix won more than 60 games in his first year back. *Averaged double digits (10+) in assists for 7 of last 8 seasons; the other season he averaged 9.7.

Steve Nash ranks in the pantheon of Phoenix’s all-time sports greats alongside Charles Bark-ley and Randy Johnson. He led the franchise with pride, poise, and always with class. Like Barkley, Nash was unable to deliver Suns fans their long-awaited first NBA title, but his legacy here and his future hall-of-fame status are not even a matter of debate. Who would you vote in as the 4th member of Phoenix’s Mt. Rushmore of sports legends? Email your vote and a brief defense of your choice to opinions@tidbitsofphoenix.com.

Camping Time. The Arizona Cardinals begin their annual pre-season training camp on the campus of NAU in Flagstaff on Wednesday, July 25. Camp breaks on August 21, giving Phoenix pro football fans nearly a month to escape the valley heat for the cooler climate of the high country, where the Red Birds will be preparing for the upcoming NFL campaign.

1. Who was the first 20-game winner for the Kansas City Royals?2. Name the National League team that has won only one World Series game in franchise history.

3. Who is the only Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?4. How many consecutive seasons has point guard Jason Kidd made the NBA playoffs?5. Four players have won more than one NHL All-Star Game MVP award. Two of them are Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Who are the other two?6. At the beginning of the 2012 Major League Soccer season, what country other than the U.S. had the most players on team rosters?7. John L. Sullivan and James J. Corbett are considered to be the first two world heavy-weight boxing champions. Who was the third? Answers on Page 8

The Sports NutOur National Pastimes

By Mark Nicholas

As a child of the 70’s and 80’s I grew up in a time when baseball was still considered our nation’s pastime. I was raised on the radio, listening to the legendary Vin Scully calling the Dodgers games each night was as much a part of summer as days at the beach. In an era before the Internet I got all the stats I needed from the morning box scores in the paper. TV games were not a rarity but weren’t as commonplace as they are today. Pro football was on the rise and a big deal to be sure, but fantasy football leagues and off shore betting sites had yet to take hold. Before the National Football League dominated ESPN coverage year-round, and for that matter before ESPN dominated the sports media scene, there was baseball.

It has been said that baseball represents our past, an era when our society was more pastoral and moved at a slower pace, while football represents our pres-ent and future, a fast-moving game with plenty of action and controlled violence, much more suited to the age of multi-tasking, sound bites, video highlights, and shorter attention spans in general. The late great comedian George Carlin has a clas-sic bit where he compares the two sports, focusing on the military references in football: “In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial

assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy ter-ritory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s defensive line. In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! I hope I’ll be safe at home!”

So in the spirit of comparing the two great sports, without delving into which has always been #1 and which is #1A for me, some thoughts on our nation’s pastimes, present and past.

Baseball is a daily affair. We check standings and analyze match-ups regularly and often on the fly. Try keeping up in a fantasy baseball league that re-quires daily lineup adjustments. Football results are obsessed over for days and broken down by vari-ous experts and fans on cable, the local fish wrap, and sports talk radio. Then the build-up begins in anticipation of the upcoming Sunday’s match-ups, with talk turning to predictions, point spreads, and fantasy roster decisions. Of course with 16 games as against 162, each football game is the equivalent of ten baseball games.

Football is a game played with a premium put on the observation of time. There is the 35 second play clock, the two minute offense, and the notion of running out the clock with a time-consuming drive. Baseball is untouched by game clocks, anything can happen up until the final out. As Yankee great Yogi Berra once famously commented, a ball game “ain’t over ‘till the fat lady sings.”

Football is perhaps the ultimate team sport, yet when is the last time a Super Bowl Champion wasn’t led by a great quarterback? Baseball is con-

sidered the most individual of the team sports. Yet the value of any one player is limited; hitters only come to bat once every few innings, and pitchers take the mound once every few games.

Football players are physical specimens, often hulk-ing figures with arms like tree trunks, yet they are hidden behind helmets, face shields, and layers of pads. Baseball players are out there on display to their audience, and while many ball players today are obviously spending their time in the weight room, the sport still has the likes of the Tigers Prince Fielder, one of the world’s largest vegetar-ians, or the Red Sox David Ortiz, aka Big Papi.

The sports do share some common ground: they are both considered to be games of inches, and what baseball manager could really sit in judgement when New England Patriots coach Bill Bellichek was caught stealing opponent’s signs? Football has borrowed from baseball terminology: A quarterback will occasionally go for the home run, or he might prefer the controlled passing attack that necessitates him playing pitch and catch with his receivers. A stellar defense might pitch a shutout.

The sports sub-culture, like the larger culture which it is such an integral part, is constantly changing. When baseball was king, it shared the spotlight with boxing, horse racing, and tennis. Today football shares the stage with pro basketball, NASCAR, MMA, and the X games. Baseball continues to captivate and demand our attention even after its heyday, just as football will no doubt continue to do even after it is supplanted one day.

Tell the Sports Nut what you think: What sport will be the nation’s pastime 25 years from now? Send your thoughts to opinions@tidbitsofphoenix.com.

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Tidbits® of Phoenix Page 6

IRS Warns About Tax Refund Scam

The Internal Revenue Service began warn-ing in 2007 that fake emails were being sent out that appeared to have come from the IRS. Those emails have gone through various in-carnations over the years. Some claimed that the email recipient was under investigation by the criminal division. Another claimed the recipient could receive money for filling out a customer satisfaction survey. Another version was a “Where’s My Refund” email.

The IRS scam must be lucrative, because it’s still going on. A new incarnation involves sending a refund to the recipient. All versions of the scams have one thing in common: They want your personal information.

The IRS has set up web pages designed to handle phishing, which is an attempt to get your personal information. They say, in bold letters: “The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or any social media tools to request personal or financial information.”That’s key to remember, not only if you re-ceive email that appears to be from the IRS, but email from anywhere. If you haven’t given out your email address to the IRS, a bank, retail stores or online stores, you won’t receive

email from them ... unless it’s fake.

If you receive email from, say, an online store, don’t open it. If you open it, don’t download any attachment because it likely contains a virus. Don’t click on any links because they’ll take you to sites that will either download a virus onto your computer or solicit your per-sonal information.

Even if a link looks genuine, as did the one in the IRS letter above, be suspicious. (The link in the IRS letter went to Russia.) Mouse over the link and hold the cursor above it. Depend-ing on your email software, it’s possible that the real email address will show up.

Become familiar with domain name exten-sions. Dot com (.com) is a common one around the world. But countries have designa-tions as well. The hidden address in the IRS letter was “.ru” -- Russia. Other countries known for a proliferation of scammers are: Ni-geria (.ng), Philippines (.ph) and Ghana (.gh).For more information, go to the IRS site at irs.gov and put “phishing” in the search box. You’ll get 187 files on that topic.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot person-ally answer reader questions, but will incorpo-rate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send email to columnreply@gmail.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

1. MOVIES: What was Indiana Jones’ real first name in Steven Spielberg’s movie series?2. LANGUAGE: What is a raincoat called in English slang?3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the largest Europe-an country where people still drive on the left?4. MUSIC: What rock band included musi-cians Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner?5. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of flamingos called?6. COMICS: What is the name of Jeremy’s brother in the comic strip “Zits”?7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What former first lady appeared in a margarine commercial on televi-sion?8. LITERATURE: In “The Polar Express,” what present did the boy ask Santa Claus to give him?9. ENTERTAINERS: Comedian Minnie Pearl used to wear a trademark hat with a price tag hanging from it. What was the amount on the tag?10. ASTRONOMY: Which planet in our solar system has a large red spot on it? Answers on Page 8

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Vintage Jewelry

Q: I have some nice pieces of vintage jewelry, and I would like to determine how much they are worth. -- Susan, Dubuque, IowaA: Since gold has risen dramatically in value in recent years, most jewelry price guides are out-of-date. With that said, there are two that will give you a general idea of the current retail marketplace. Warman’s Vintage Jewelry: Identifi cation and Price Guide by Leigh Lesh-ner (Krause, $24.99) features more than 1,000 pieces of white metal and rhinestone jewelry with pricing and collector information. Espe-cially helpful is the section about the different settings and metals and history of rhinestones, including their cuts and shapes.A second, more basic book is Antique Trader Jewelry Price Guide by Kyle Husfl oen (Krause, $21.99). It has more than 2,000 detailed listings arranged in alphabetical format by item name. These two books, both available at www.ama-zon.com, should get you started. Don’t forget established jewelry dealers in your city. Most are quite knowledgeable and helpful.***

Q: I have three books: “Readers Digest Fun Time,” published in 1949; “Fun with the Gui-tar” by Mel Bay (1958); and “Avant Garde,” a monthly publication. Any value to a collector? -- Delores, Sun City West, Ariz.A: No, no and maybe. Your fi rst two titles would be of no interest to a book collector. The “Avant Garde” magazine was mostly notable because of the graphic designs of Herb Luba-lin. The fi rst issue was published in January of 1968 and 13 editions followed. I found more than 150 Avant Garde magazines posted on eBay, most with no bids or selling in the $10 to $15 range. As with most collectibles, there are always exceptions.***

Q: I have a James Hoffa wristwatch and a Teamsters belt bucket. Could you tell me how much they are worth? -- Dee, Godfrey, Ill.A: I contacted a Hoffa collector who said the watch was probably worth about $50 and the buckle somewhat less. Apparently, the Team-sters issued several buckle designs, and the value would depend on which one you have. My expert is no longer adding to his collection and suggests that to sell your items, you should post them on eBay.

Write to Larry Cox in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to questions-forcox@aol.com. Due to the large volume of mail he receives, Mr. Cox is unable to person-ally answer all reader questions. Do not send any materials requiring return mail.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

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BRAIN-Y FACTS (continued): • Wernicke’s Area and Broca’s Area are both important in the area of language. While Wernicke’s is responsible for comprehension of speech, Broca’s is involved in the production of speech. If Wernicke’s Area is damaged, a person loses the ability to understand language. He or she can speak clearly, but the combination of words makes no sense. Those with an impaired Broca’s Area understand language, but can’t properly form the words to produce speech. • If you’re having trouble focusing on a task and can’t complete a sequence of move-ments or solve a problem, you may have an impairment of the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. This area can also produce mood chang-es, changes in personality and social behavior, and an inability to interact with others. • Talk about using your brain to its full poten-tial! Ben Pridmore is a world champion memo-rizer who memorized 96 historical events in just fi ve minutes. It took this accountant just over 26 seconds to memorize the order of a shuffl ed deck of cards. His trick is to create associations between the items he is memorizing. • Ever wonder why you can’t tickle your-self? It’s because your brain is able to distin-guish between unexpected touch and your own touch.• Research confi rms that brain waves are more active when you are dreaming than when you are awake. If you’re average, you’ll have between four and seven dreams a night over the course of one to two hours. • Think about it! The average brain does just that — It produces about 70,000 thoughts on a normal day. • Certain scents can trigger memories, for example, the smell of roses might bring a fam-ily member’s funeral into vivid focus. This is because the olfactory nerve, the one that regis-ters smells, is very close to the amygdala, that part of the brain connected to emotions and their memories, and also to the hippocampus, an area associated with memory. If these areas are dam-aged, the ability to identify certain scents can be affected.• Want to increase your brain power? Reading aloud promotes brain development, as do music lessons, which boost the brain’s organizational ability. Children who learn two languages by the age of fi ve will develop a denser gray matter. Those who grow up in a stimulating environ-ment can have up to a 25-percent greater ability to learn. • Do all you can to keep your brain healthy! Avoid stress, which has been shown to affect brain structure and function. Studies show that artifi cial fl avorings and preservatives also have a negative effect on IQ. And a seven-year study reported that those who eat seafood at least once a week have a 30-percent lower occurrence of dementia. • The third leading cause of death in America is by stroke. This occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is disturbed, the result of a blockage, such as a clot, or by a lack of blood fl ow, such as a burst blood vessel or hemor-rhage. The function of the affected area is severely affected, including inability to move limbs, understand speech or see.• An elephant’s brain may be larger than a human brain, but its percentage of total body weight is much smaller. The human brain is about 2 percent of total body weight, but the elephant’s is just 0.15 percent.

PAW’S CORNERBy Sam Mazzotta

Lavender May Calm Hyperactive Dogs

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I read on an Internet forum that lavender can help calm nervous and hyperactive dogs. Is this the case? I know that some plants are toxic to pets. -- Jenna C., Los Angeles

DEAR JENNA: Lavender, or the scent of lav-ender, has been touted as a natural way to help calm down dogs. Experts advocating natural treatments recommend placing a few drops of the essential oil on a cloth, a favorite blanket or a cotton ball and placing it near the dog. (Make sure your dog doesn’t ingest it.) I’ve seen recommendations to place the essential oil directly on a dog’s coat, but this can cause skin irritation, so you should avoid that.For cats, however, lavender is a more danger-ous proposition. Ingesting the essential oil or accidentally getting it on their skin can cause stomach upset and, in larger doses, liver toxic-ity. It’s true that some plants, including herbs, are dangerous for both dogs and cats. Lily plants should not be in a house with cats, as they are very poisonous. Eucalyptus plants and es-sential oil should be kept away from pets; the plant leaves can cause vomiting if ingested, and the oil can make cats quite ill.A list of plants that are poisonous for cats and dogs can be found at earthclinic.com. Before bringing a new plant into the house or before applying an herbal or aromatherapy remedy to your pet, do your homework to make sure it’s not toxic. Your veterinarian also can provide expert advice on herbs and plants to avoid.

Send your questions or comments to ask@pawscorner.com, or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-related advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

by Samantha Weaver

• It was German-American painter and lithographer Herm Albright who made the following sage observation: “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”

• It’s well-known that there were shortages of many items during World War II -- and caffeine was one. It was such a problem, in fact, that the chemists at Coca-Cola tried to fi nd a substitute, even experimenting with a derivative of bat guano. The idea was nixed by an executive who was afraid of the public backlash if the truth ever came out.

• Just as a group of birds is called a fl ock, a group of frogs is called an army.

• Ever wonder why a barber pole has red and white stripes? It’s a rather grisly tale. At one time barbers did more than cut hair; they sometimes performed marriages and baptisms, served as dentists and even performed surgery. When engaged in the medical work, any excess blood was soaked up by white towels, which were often hung up on a pole outside to dry. As the wind wrapped the towel around the pole, it created a design of red and white stripes.

• The 1982 fi lm “Gandhi,” which was awarded eight Os-cars, including the one for best picture, used a whopping 300,000 extras.

• Toilet paper was fi rst introduced in the United States in 1857, but the idea didn’t take off -- the paper being of-fered was evidently too much like the paper in the Sears catalog, which is what most people used at the time.

• The most popular perfume in the world is Chanel No. 5.***Thought for the Day: “Always forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” -- Robert Kennedy

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

On July 22, 1598, William Shake-speare's play "The Merchant of Venice" is entered on the Stationers' Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth, the Sta-tioners' Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material.

On July 19, 1799, during Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign, a French soldier discovers a black basalt slab inscribed with ancient writing near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles north of Alexandria. Called the Rosetta Stone, the artifact held the key to solv-ing the riddle of hieroglyphics, a writ-ten language that had been "dead" for nearly 2,000 years.

On July 16, 1935, the world's fi rst park-ing meter, known as Park-O-Meter No. 1, is installed on the southeast corner of what was then First Street and Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City, Okla. Park-ing cost a nickel an hour. By the early 1940s, there were more than 140,000 parking meters operating in the United States.

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland -- Walt Disney's metropolis of nostalgia, fanta-sy and futurism -- opens. The $17 mil-lion theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, Calif. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 14 million visitors a year, who spend close to $3 billion.

On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people lis-tening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the fi rst hu-man to walk on the surface of the moon.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.

Trivia TestAnswers1. Henry2. A “mac,” short for “Macintosh”3. United Kingdom4. Eagles5. A fl amboyance6. Chad7. Eleanor Roosevelt8. A silver bell9. $1.9810. Jupiter

Sports QuizAnswers1. Paul Splittorff won 20 games in 1973.2. The San Diego Padres won one game in 1984.3. Roger Staubach.4. Sixteen consecutive seasons.5. Frank Mahovlich (1963, ‘69) and Bobby Hull (1970-71).6. Colombia.7. Bob Fitzsimmons, 1897-99.

PARTING SHOTSWe hope you have enjoyed Volume One, Issue One of our humble little paper. We certainly enjoy putting it together for our readers, and will continue to strive each week to live up to our tag line of being interesting, local, and fun reading for the people of Phoenix. Please consider supporting our advertising partners, as this venture would not be possible without their fi nancial support. If you visit them, tell them you saw their ad in Tidbits. Remember to get your daily fi x of semi-useless information along with interesting quotes and random thoughts from yours truly on our Twitter feed. Follow us at www.twitter.com/phxtidbits. You can also read current and past issues online at www.tidbitsofphoenix.com. Until next week, may the wind be at your back, may the road always rise to meet you, and may the temperatures not exceed 1100 !