Gist Weekly Issue 5 - Christmas Traditions

Published and distributed by

™

Gist Media, 1306 E 3rd Rd Lostant, IL 61334 For ad information, visit

www.gistweekly.com/ads

Take One

or call (815) 488-3698

A Free Paper of Trivia, Humor, Puzzles, and More

December 24, 2008

Christmas Traditions

INSIDE

By Kane Casolari

Christmas is here. You probably already know the basic Christmas story, but how much do you know about the origins of Christmas traditions?

Which state is “The Gem State”? Fifty State Fun Facts. . . . . . PAGE 4

Are poinsettias poisonous? Fact or Fiction? . . . . . . PAGE 5

Christmas trees probably got their start with pagan traditions. Of • course, they weren’t called “Christmas trees” then, but to pre-Christian pagans, evergreens were a symbol of continued life and fertility during the winter and were incorporated in some winter solstice festivals. When pagans began to convert to Christianity, they kept some of their ancient traditions.

•

What exactly does it mean to “plead the Fifth”? By the Numbers . . . . . . . PAGE 6

Which television mile-stone happened 55 years ago this Tuesday? Which president would be 200 years old this Monday? Birthdays . . . . . . PAGE 7 Plus games including: Crossword— PAGE 2 Scavenger Hunt— PAGE 2 Trivia Quiz— PAGE 3 Sudoku— PAGE 6 ...And More!

Illustration: MS

This Week in History . . . PAGE 7

Similarly, mistletoe has had symbolic value for centuries, maybe even millennia. According to legend, mistletoe is supposed to inspire passion, hence the modern custom of kissing under it. One largely-forgotten tradition dictates • that a man give a woman a berry from the mistletoe in exchange for a kiss; when the berries are gone, the kissing is over.

•

Despite its maligned status, fruitcake was originally a very special treat. Fruitcakes date back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who sometimes left it with the departed to sustain them in the afterlife. In Medieval Europe, fruit in winter was rare, making fruitcakes special enough to de-

•

Your source for FREE books! “This site is amazing. I love the fact that I can exchange all of the books that I have read (and will probably never read again) for new books. I am an avid reader and have saved so much money with this site. You guys have done a fantastic job and I will recommend this site to everyone that I know.” Alexandra D.—Worcester, MA

Swap your used books for FREE with club members! tinyurl.com/GistWeeklyPBS

serve to be saved until Christmas. Since the fruit is often dried and the cakes are spiced, fruitcakes were a good way of preserving fruit during the winter. While not as popular today as they once were, Yule logs have been a winter tradition for centuries. Norse pagans celebrated a winter festival called Jule (pronounced the same as Yule). The feast honored and got its name from Jolnir, another name for the chief Norse god, Odin. Bonfires held during the festival led to the tradition of a special log to be cut specifically for the occasion. As with Christmas trees, the tradition continued even after its practitioners stopped celebrating their other winter festivals and began to celebrate Christmas. Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Santa Claus and his reindeer. Rudolph has been the subject of stories (starting with Robert L. May’s in 1939), a 1949 Gene Autry song, and a 1964 stop-motion animated Christmas special starring Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. Having trouble remembering the other eight reindeer’s names? They’re Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or Donder) and Blitzen.

Christmas Trivia •

Last year, the largest Christmas tree in the United States wasn’t the one at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It was a tree in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho that was 161 feet tall—more than double the height of the one in Rockefeller Center.

ISSUE #5

Christmas Humor Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? A: Frostbite. Q: What do you get when Santa goes down a chimney while there’s a fire in the fireplace? A: Crisp Kringle Q: What do you call people who are afraid of Santa? A: Claus-trophobic

A grandmother took her young grandson to see Santa at the mall. When he got up on Santa’s lap, the boy yelled “I WANT A NEW BIKE, SOME VIDEO GAMES, AN IPOD…” Santa chuckled and said, “You don’t have to shout. Santa’s not deaf, you know.” “No,” said the Grandma is.”

boy,

“but

Christmas quotes: “Roses are reddish; Violets are bluish. If it weren’t for Christmas, We’d all be Jewish.” —Benny Hill “The one thing women don’t want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband.” —Joan Rivers “A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer.” —Mitch Hedberg

Signs of the season: •

At a bridal store: “Marry Christmas.”

•

On December 16, 1965, the crew of Gemini 6 broadcast the first song from space, “Jingle Bells.”

•

Outside a gym: “24 Shaping Days until Christmas.”

•

Composer James Pierpont wrote the Christmas classic “Jingle Bells,” then called “One Horse Open Sleigh” in 1857. He didn’t write it for Christmas, though. According to both National Public Radio and Reader’s Digest, Pierpont wrote the song for a Thanksgiving program.

•

In a stationery store: “For the man who has everything—a calendar to remind him when payments are due.”

www.gistweekly.com

Page 2

Word Search

December 24, 2008

Joke of the Week

FUN AND GAMES

Christmas

An elderly man had finally retired, hoping to spend his remaining years relaxing peacefully in a new home. That’s exactly what he did for the first few weeks. Then school started.

Scavenger Hunt

Find the following words and phrases in the diagram above. They may be forward, backward, up, down, or diagonal. Christmas Elves Family Fruit Cake Giving Holidays

Search this issue of Gist Weekly to find the pictures, words, phrases, and names listed below. They may be in articles, games, or ads. (Sorry, but finding them in this box doesn’t count.) When you’ve found them all, visit www.gistweekly.com/contest to send in an entry with the page number where you found each Image: MS one. One winner will be randomly chosen from all entries in the contests for issues 3-6. You may enter once per issue. The winner of the contest will receive an Eco-Bag, an environmentally–friendly alternative to paper or plastic bags. More details on the prize can be found in the ad on page four. The drawing will be held January 14, 2009. Limit one entry per person per issue. Winners are limited to one prize per household every four weeks.

Mistletoe Presents Reindeer Rudolph Santa Claus Snow

A. B. C. D. E.

Avid reader Bags* Borah Peak Elephant* Francisco Franco

F. G. H. I. J.

Hammer* Morse Code New Orleans Nutcracker* Social Security

*Picture

MAZE

While information in Gist Weekly is collected from sources judged to be reliable, the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. Gist Media is not responsible for the content or accuracy of advertisements. Advertisements are the property of their respective companies and/or creators. The Gist Weekly name and logo are property of Gist Media. Any other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. All images not otherwise indicated are in the public domain. For image credits, WC: Wikimedia Commons; MS: Microsoft Corp., used under license; PD: public domain; CC BY #: Creative Commons Attribution License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/#, where # is the number next to “CC BY”).

Find your way from the upper-left corner to the lower-right

The next afternoon, the man went outside when he heard the boys coming. When they got near his house, he said to them, “It feels good to hear you boys out enjoying yourselves the way I did when I was your age. In fact, I like it so much that I’ll give you each a dollar every day that you come and bang on my trashcans.” The boys, of course, agreed. The next week, the man said to the kids, “My retirement fund isn’t doing so well. I’ll only be able to afford to give you 50 cents to beat on the cans from now on.” The boys were disappointed, but accepted the offer. A few days later, the old man approached the boys again. “My Social Security check is running late. I can’t give you more than 25 cents this time.” “Only a quarter?” the leader of the group exclaimed. “We’re not wasting our time for a lousy quarter. We quit!”

Any text and puzzles created by Gist Media and not otherwise indicated as being in the public domain or created/copyrighted by a third party were created by Kane Casolari and are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. For more information, visit gistweekly.com/license or creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0.

The man enjoyed peace and quiet for the rest of his retirement.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. The Gem State* 6. ___-Ball 10. “___ bin ein Berliner” 13. One of Santa’s reindeer (Hint: Rhymes with 29D)* 14. Bottom of ship’s hull 15. French tire 16. To Pagans, a winter symbol of life* 18. Veinlike deposit

After the first school day, a group of boys from the junior high a few blocks away ran down the street, banging on every trash can they passed. After a few days, the wise old man decided to take action.

19. Sorrowful 20. Norse chief god* 21. Accustomed 23. Anthropologist Fossey 24. Put ___ to 25. Secret society members 28. Smocked needlework 31. Gasket 32. Wading bird 33. Naught 34. “The ___ of the Ancient

Mariner” 35. Room 36. Prepare to fly 37. Plant juice 38. Antique shop item 39. Billy club 40. Expanded 42. Building material 43. Icon 44. Norse winter festival* 45. Make vacant 47. Lux. neighbor 48. Malt beverage 51. Mex. neighbor 52. Irregularity 55. Spouse 56. Mediator’s skill 57. WWII predator 58. Wield 59. Kill 60. Devilfish DOWN 1. The voice of Sam the Snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer* 2. Opera star 3. Canned 4. Pronoun 5. Continuing 6. Loose coil of yarn 7. Sharp 8. Even (poet.) 9. Hamlet setting 10. Excessive 11. To yield

12. Colored 15. Squarely 17. Nutritional info 22. Narrow strip of land 23. Completed 24. Exxon alternative 25. ___ Code* 26. Suffix with sect 27. Artlessness 28. Of sedate character 29. President who signed the Endangered Species Act into law (Hint: rhymes with 13A)* 30. Reflect 32. Carousal 35. Implies 36. Unexciting 38. Political suffix 39. Site of a World War I Christmas truce* 41. Astonish 42. Sect 44. Pier 45. Seductress 46. Asia’s ___ Sea 47. Florida city, informally 48. Great age 49. Aspiring atty.’s exam 50. “¿Cómo ___?” 53. Comrade 54. Draft org.? *Starred clues have answers that can be found elsewhere in this issue Solutions to all puzzles are on page 8

ISSUE #5

www.gistweekly.com

Page 3

www.gistweekly.com

Page 4

Fifty States Fun Facts:

Idaho •

•

•

•

•

•

•

Idaho’s name is traditionally said to come from a Shoshone term for “gem of the mountains” or “the sun comes from the mountains.” George M. Willing, who initially proposed the name, later said that he made it up himself and that it had no real meaning. Some historians disagree about At the other end whether or not Willof the spectrum, ing was influenced by the state’s highest actual tribal words point is Borah and phrases. AuthoriPeak, which ties on the languages reaches 12,662 of tribes in the area feet, or about 2.4 say that “Idaho” may miles. Idaho’s State Flag come from a Coeur Idaho became a d’Alene expression conveying a state in 1890, making it the 43rd surprised greeting or a Plains state. Apache word for “enemy,” used to refer to the Comanche tribe. If you’re a big sports fan, Idaho might not be the state for you. • Idaho is one of the fastestIdaho has no Major League Basegrowing states in the country. Its ball (MLB), National Basketball population has increased by about Association (NBA), National 38% since 1990. Football League (NFL), or National Hockey League (NHL) • The state government of Idaho has strict control over alcohol teams. sales and has a monopoly on all The capital of Idaho is Boise. sales of beverages with more than Boise is also the state’s largest 16 percent alcohol by volume—in city, with an estimated population other words, stronger than 32 of just under 200,000. proof. Idaho is well known for its pota- • Idaho borders six other states. toes. The state produces roughly Starting in the northeast and goa third of all the potatoes grown ing clockwise, they are Montana, in the United States. Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, OreIdaho is home to Hell’s Canyon, • the deepest canyon in the United States. Hell’s Canyon is up to 7,900 feet (about a mile and a half) deep in some places. By comparison, the deepest portions of the Grand Canyon are “only” about a mile deep.

The official nickname of Idaho is “the Gem State.” It is also informally called “the Spud State.”

December 24, 2008

A Gift for You!

5

$ 00

Redeemable only at

iHerb.com

Use Code AMI731 When You Place Your First Order Use this code just like cash to purchase Bath, Beauty, & Personal Care Products such as Shampoo, Skin Cream, Toothpaste, etc… at

www.iHerb.com •12,000+

Natural Products

•Same-Day,

Super Discounted Shipping

This code is valid for first-time customers only - No cash value

Paper or Plastic? Neither!

gon, and Washington. Idaho also borders the Canadian province of British Columbia.

MATCH UP Match these states that border Idaho to their nicknames. (Answers on page 8.)

Bring your own Eco-Bags String Bags made with 100% cotton!

Montana

“The Beaver State”

Nevada

“The Beehive State”

•Eco-friendly gift bag

Oregon

“The Equality State”

•Expands to hold up to 40 pounds

Utah

“The Evergreen State”

Washington

“The Silver State”

Wyoming

“The Treasure State”

•Available in four colors:Natural, Red, Green, and Mango Only $5.00 each with free shipping while supplies last. Call Jamie at (815) 368-3283. No calls after 8:00pm please.

www.gistweekly.com

TRIVIA QUIZ Each question below relates to the topic of a feature in this issue of Gist Weekly, but is not answered in it. Answers are on page 8. 1. Christmas (Pages 1 and 5): Donner (or Donder) and Blitzen are two of Santa’s reindeer. What do their names mean in German? 2. Christmas (Pages 1 and 5): Who sang the 1971 Christmas/ protest song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)? 3. Idaho (Page 4): Idaho is one of only two places in the world known to have star garnets. Where else can they be found? 4. By the Numbers—5 (Page 6): In baseball, which position is represented by the number five? 5. This Week in History (Page 7): The FM radio was patented 75 years ago this Friday. What does “FM” stand for? 6. Celebrity Birthdays (Page 7): Actor Masi Oka turns 34 this Saturday. What is the name of his character on NBC’s Heroes?

Images: MS

ISSUE #5

Page 5

Fact or Fiction?: Christmas Rumors Rumor: Eating poinsettias is fatal to despite the taste, he or she may dechildren. velop an upset stomach or even vomit, but—barring an allergic reacFact or Fiction: Fiction tion—should be just fine. A commonly-heard assertion during the holidays is that people should You might be wondering, how did keep small children away from poin- the rumor of poinsettias being poisettias for fear that they would eat the sonous start? There are two probable flowers or leaves with deadly conse- explanations. One is a record of a quences. The truth is that it would child’s death in 1919 initially being take over 500 poinsettia leaves to be blamed on ingestion of the plant. The lethal to a 50 pound child, so unless cause of death was later revealed to you are running a greenhouse and be poisoning, but not from a poinsethave a small child with a voracious tia. Second, poinsettias belong to a appetite and unusual culinary tastes, genus—called Euphorbia—that does you’re probably okay letting kids near include several poisonous plants, so it your holiday flower arrangements. might be seen as “guilty by associaMost children would stop eating the tion,” much the way that tomatoes plant after one bite anyway; experts were once assumed to be toxic due to say that poinsettias taste extremely their relation to the deadly nightshade bitter. Children are more sensitive to plant. Today, we know that tomatoes bitter tastes than adults are—which is are okay to eat—and taste much betwhy they often dislike coffee, broc- ter than poinsettias. coli, dark chocolate, and other mildly bitter foods—so they are actually less Rumor: During World War I, sollikely than adults to enjoy munching diers from both sides laid down their on poinsettia leaves or flowers. If arms for a Christmas truce, during your child persists in eating the plants which they exchanged gifts, sang car-

ols, and played games with their enemies. Fact or Fiction?: Fact In December of 1914—only a few months into a war that would last over four years—soldiers were already growing weary of all the fighting, killing, and dying. On Christmas Eve, in the trenches of a Flanders, Belgium battlefield, German soldiers began singing carols. Soon, their British enemies joined in. By morning, a neutral zone between the two sides had been established. Soldiers met in that “no man’s land” to sing, exchange gifts, and even play soccer. (The Germans won 3-2, according to a diary by British forces from the 133rd Saxon Regiment.) The truce was limited to a relatively small area and did not receive official approval. By New Year’s Day, under penalty of court martial, soldiers were ordered to return to their trenches and resume battle. The war continued until November 11, 1918, with no more such truces recorded.

Page 6

www.gistweekly.com

December 24, 2008

By the Numbers: 5 The most popular number associated with • James Bond is 007, but the agency he works for is Military Intelligence, Section 5, more commonly called MI5. •

•

•

Missed an Issue? Read Gist Weekly Online!

The most destructive hurricanes • are Category 5. Similarly, the most destructive tornadoes are rated F5 on the Fujita scale, named after the Ted Fujita, who introduced the tornado rating scale in 1971. A modified version • of the, called the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, began to be used in the United States in 2007. Using that system, the most destructive tornadoes are rated EF5. East Asian traditions recognize five elements: earth, fire, metal, • water, and wood.

•

A five in Morse Code is represented by five dots. Five is the only number represented by the same number of dots or dashes as the number it represents.

•

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C • minor, Op. 67—more commonly known as just “Symphony No. 5” or “Beethoven’s Fifth”—is probably his most widelyrecognized piece. Most people are • familiar with its first four notes: dun dun dun DUN. Interestingly, when those notes are translated into Morse code (——— –), they form

the letter V, the Roman numeral for five. The number five is popular in band names, including the Jackson Five, The Fifth Dimension, Five for Fighting, Ben Folds Five, Maroon 5, and Five Man Electrical Band. The five Olympic rings represent the five continents represented at the Olympics. (North and South America are counted as one continent.) On most telephones, computers, and other devices with numeric keypads, the 5 has a raised dot or bar to assist users in finding the keys if they have limited or no vision, or are just not looking at the keypad. The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution contains many of the rights related to legal procedures, including due process, freedom from double jeopardy, and the right to refuse to testify against oneself, known as “pleading the Fifth.” The UN Security Council has five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U. S. Although all of the Earth’s oceans are connected, they are usually divided into five oceans: the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern (or Antarctic) Oceans.

Number Games SUDOKU

Visit gistweekly.com/currentissue for this week’s issue and a link to the archive of all past issues. You can get an email or RSS reminder when new issues are available online by going to gistweekly.com/subscribe. Place a number in each empty box so that every row, column, and 9box square contains each of the numbers from one to nine.

Difficulty: ⋆⋆

NONOGRAM

Use logic to determine which boxes to fill in and which to leave white. The numbers below each column and next to each row indicate unbroken sets of filled-in boxes: i.e., “5 2” means that sets of 5 and 2 black boxes appear in it, in that order, with at least one white box in between. Fill in a box only when you are sure it must be black. You may want to mark known white boxes with Xs or dots.

www.gistweekly.com

ISSUE #5

This Week in History •

•

• The crew of Apollo 8, which made a historic journey 40 years ago this week. Left to right: Jim Lovell, Bill Anders, Frank Borman •

December 24, 1968: The crew of Apollo 8 become the first hu- • mans ever to orbit the Moon. After making ten orbits over the course of 20 hours—and becoming the most-watched television broadcast up to that time—the crew returns safely to Earth. •

•

December 25, 1868: President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all former Confederate soldiers.

December 26, 1933: The United States Patent Office grants patent 1,342,885 to Edwin Howard Armstrong. Odds are you’ve used his invention—the FM radio. December 27, 1978: After roughly 40 years of Francisco Franco’s fascist dictatorship and state-imposed Catholicism, Spain becomes a parliamentary democracy with freedom of religion. December 28, 1973: President Richard Nixon signs the Endangered Species Act into law. The Act allows the government to protect animals deemed close to extinction. December 29, 1778: Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and the 3,000–3,500 British troops under his command capture Savannah, Georgia without firing a single shot. December 30, 1953: RCA debuts the first color television, which sells for $1,175. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $9,600 in today’s dollars.

This Week’s Celebrity Birthdays Author Mary Higgins Clark (Where Are You Now?, Pretend You Don’t See Her) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 24, 1927 Singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett (“Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” [with Alan Jackson]) . . . . . . . . . . . . December 25, 1946 Essayist David Sedaris (When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Me Talk Pretty One Day) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 26, 1956 Actor Masi Oka (Heroes, Get Smart) . . . . . . . . . . December 27, 1974 Comedian and actor Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 28, 1973 Artist and filmmaker Dave McKean (MirrorMask, The Sandman) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 29, 1963 Television journalist/host Meredith Vieira (The Today Show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 30, 1953 Clipart: MS

Historic Birthdays This Week General George Patton IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 24, 1923 Collector of odd facts Robert Ripley . . . . . . . . . . December 25, 1890 Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong . . . . . . . . . December 26, 1893 Biologist and chemist Louis Pasteur, inventor of pasteurization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 27, 1822 President Woodrow Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 28, 1856 President Andrew Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 29, 1808 Singer and musician Bo Diddley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 30, 1928

Page 7

Gist Weekly Featured Distributors You can find a new issue of Gist Weekly each week at these and other locations throughout the Illinois Valley area. Gist Weekly is also available online at gistweekly.com/currentissue. Ann Frances Salon 300 5th St #A Peru

Hair Affair 813 Peoria St Peru

Applebee’s 1517 Wenzel Rd Peru

Hy-Vee 1651 Midtown Rd #200 Peru

Arby’s 1530 May Rd Peru Baymont Inn 5240 Trompeter Rd Peru Big Boy’s Tire & Services 1155 5th St LaSalle Ricardo Calderon, MD 128 Bucklin St LaSalle Coronet of Peru 3705 Frontage Rd Peru De Angelo’s Hair Styling 407 5th St Peru Steven Delheimer, MD 128 Bucklin St #1 LaSalle John DeRango, DDS 360 1st St LaSalle Fajitas 254 3rd St LaSalle

I Need Cash, Inc. 148 Marquette St LaSalle Illinois Retina Institute 2200 Marquette Rd #105 Peru Illinois Valley Community Hospital 925 West St Peru Illinois Valley Community College 2501 E 350th Rd Oglesby Illinois Valley Surgical Associates 920 West St #118 Peru JJ’s Dogs, Beef, Chicken, and More 154 3rd St LaSalle Robert Kinsella, MD 2220 Marquette Rd Peru La Quinta Inn 4389 Venture Dr Peru

Family Beauty Shop 1020 Buffalo St Peru

LaSalle Public Library 305 Marquette St LaSalle

Franklin’s Hair Design 209 E Walnut St Oglesby

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches 1318 38th St Peru

Neelam Goel, MD 920 West St #116 Peru

Joel Leifheit, MD 920 West St #111 Peru

Michael Grabowski, DDS 2200 Marquette Rd #107 Peru

McDonald’s (Peru) 5251 Trompeter Rd Peru

Grosenbach’s Auto Repair 301 N Columbia Ave Oglesby

McDonald’s (Oglesby) 115 N Lewis Ave Oglesby Metropolis 821 1st St LaSalle

Midas Auto Service Experts 4224 Mahoney Drive Peru Mr. Salsa’s 309 E Walnut St Oglesby Oglesby Public Library 111 S Woodland Ave Oglesby Oscar’s Automotive 176 E Walnut St Oglesby Papa John’s 930 Shooting Park Rd Peru Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Center 4239 Venture Dr Peru Quad City Prosthetics 2200 Marquette Rd #112 Peru Salon Patrice 1525 Peoria St Peru Shear Wizards 2007 4th St Peru Smitty’s Service Station 756 Crosat St LaSalle Sparkle Cleaners 225 E Walnut St Oglesby Steak ‘n Shake 4240 Venture Dr Peru Tiki Motel 206 LaSalle Rd LaSalle Waldorf Hair Co. 2129 4th St Peru William White, DDS 225 Gooding St LaSalle To get Gist Weekly delivered to your business for free each week or to correct an address, send an email to [email protected] or go to gistweekly.com/ contact.

Gist Weekly

Page 8

December 24, 2008

Coming Next Issue:

Advertise without breaking the bank!

Gist Weekly is taking some time off for the holidays, but will be back in two weeks on January 7. Here’s what’s planned for that issue. •

Gist Weekly features puzzles in every issue. Find out the history behind crosswords, sudokus, and more in the front-page article on Puzzles and Games.

•

In Birthdays, a big name in boxing turns 60 and a president would be 95.

•

By the Numbers explains how Six Flags got its name and looks at other things related to the number six.

•

This Week in History covers the 450th anniversary of the crowning of a famous queen as well as other historical events that took place between January 7 and January 13.

•

Plus the usual assortment of puzzles and games, including a crossword, sudoku, scavenger hunt, and more.

Look for the next issue on January 7! All planned upcoming features are tentative and subject to change.

Coming Soon: Gist Weekly answers readers’ questions—on any topic! Gist Weekly is planning a feature called Ask Kane. Submit questions with factual answers (for example, “What is the record for the fastest one-mile run?”1 or “Does chewing gum really take seven years to pass through a human digestive system?”2) and editor Kane Casolari will do his best to answer them in a future issue.

Reach over 3,000 readers a week for a fraction of what other papers charge. A space this size (¼ page) costs as little as $7099 per week if you order by Christmas, with full color included free for contracts of 26 or more weeks. See details on page five.

Send questions to [email protected] or use the contact form on Gist Weekly’s website (www.gistweekly.com/contact). 13

minutes, 43.13 seconds by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999 2 No

Call Kane at (815) 488-3698 or email [email protected] to place an ad today Image: MorgueFile

Game and Quiz Answers —MAZE— Solution

—WORD SEARCH— Solution

—TRIVIA QUIZ— Answers 1. “Thunder” and “lightning,” respectively —MATCH UP— Answers Montana—”The Treasure State” Nevada—”The Silver State” Oregon—”The Beaver State” Utah—”The Beehive State” Washington—”The Evergreen State” Wyoming—”The Equality State”

2. John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and The Plastic Ono Band, with the help of children from the Harlem Community Choir 3. The Himalayas, in India 4. The third baseman 5. Frequency Modulation 6. Hiro Nakamura Please recycle this paper or pass it on to a friend when you are done with it.

—CROSSWORD PUZZLE— Solution

—SUDOKU— Solution

—NONOGRAM— Solution