Saturday, December 11, 2021
VIEWPOINTS
East Oregonian
A5
Conversation starters for the holidays
J.D.
SMITH
FROM THE HEADWATERS
OF DRY CREEK
M
y maternal grandpa was a carpen-
ter, a quiet guy who was addicted
to dog racing.
When he was in his mid 70s, he left
my grandma in Loveland, Colorado, and
spent a winter in Florida working on a farm
where they raised greyhounds.
There he learned they train the dogs in
large fenced areas with live rabbits and
that a rabbit will slow down just a tiny bit
before it darts one direction or the other. In
a race situation the dogs chase a mechanical
bunny mounted to the rail around an oval
track.
Grandpa discovered that dog races
could be fixed if the person operating the
mechanical rabbit would slow it just enough
so the lead dog would break stride think-
ing the rabbit was going to change direc-
tions and the next dog would be in the lead.
A good operator could shuffle the pack so
that any dog chosen could win. This pretty
much soured him on dog racing.
I saw him only during family holi-
days, but I most remember him from his
method of filling conversational voids at
the table. When most of the niceties about
weather and cousin Donita’s divorce were
exhausted, my grandpa would lean back in
his chair and ask, “Why do they call shoes
shoes?” — at which point some semi-edu-
cated member of the family would say that
the word “shoe” comes from the German
word “shuh.” His rejoinder was, “Why do
the Germans call shuhs shuhs?”
I bring him into our column this month
because it is December and we are enter-
ing the holiday season. There will be
gatherings, even during these plague-rid-
den times, of family and friends when the
dinner conversation stalls or heads off into
contentious issues and the reader may need
a diversionary tactic to keep family melt-
down at bay.
You are welcome to try Grandpa’s shoe
question, but as backup topics I have gath-
ered the following list of factoids that might
divert real arguments into Google sessions.
Stay safe out there.
There are 333 squares on a toilet paper
roll.
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t have a belly
button.
The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
If coloring were not added to Coca-Cola,
it would be green.
Two-thirds of the world’s eggplant is
grown in New Jersey.
The king of hearts is the only king with-
out a mustache in a standard deck of cards.
One pound of fat represents 4,000 calo-
ries.
Rubber bands last longer when refriger-
ated.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies’
room during a dance.
The Eiffel Tower has 2,500,000 rivets
in it.
The average age of a major league base-
ball is five to seven pitches.
In 2006, 18 Americans fractured their
skulls while vomiting in a toilet.
The longest recorded flight of a domestic
chicken is 13 seconds.
A metal coat hanger is 44 inches long
when straightened.
French toast isn’t French. It was invented
by Joseph French in New York.
A whale’s penis is called a dork.
The average human creates 25,000
quarts of saliva in a lifetime.
Every minute six people turn 17 years
old in the United States.
The average house fly lives a month.
A bowling pin needs to tilt 7.5 degrees
to fall.
Americans eat 18 acres of pizza per day.
Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
The inventor of the Pringles can is
buried in one.
Canada eats more macaroni and cheese
than any other country.
Selfies cause more deaths than shark
attacks.
Porcupines float.
The Philippines consists of more than
7,000 islands.
It takes a drop of water 90 days to travel
the entire Mississippi River.
A dime has 118 ridges around its edge.
Marrying a cousin is legal in 26 states.
Every human spent about half an hour as
a single cell.
Non-dairy creamer is flammable.
Hostess can make 55,000 Twinkies per
hour.
———
J.D. Smith is an accomplished writer and
jack-of-all-trades. He lives in Athena.
Having a positive impact on others through the art of giving
BRYAN
GOLDEN
OTHER VIEWS
A
mong other things, the holidays are
a time of giving and receiving gifts.
The question most often asked of
people is, “What did you get?” Much less
frequently asked is, “What did you give?”
Invariably, the inquiries concern mate-
rial gifts. Purchasing a gift can certainly be
thoughtful and a wonderful gesture, espe-
cially when it’s backed up by your actions.
However, the most valuable presents are
those that aren’t sold in stores. When you
give your love, your time, help someone in
need, aid another in solving a problem or
overcoming an obstacle, you give some-
thing priceless.
The true spirit of the holidays is giving.
When you give, you receive. You can get
anything in life you want by helping enough
others get what they want. But only if you
give without expecting anything in return.
The impact of giving isn’t limited to just the
holiday season, it’s something that has value
all year.
The power of giving is often underesti-
mated. When you give unconditionally, you
don’t just impact the recipient; you start a
chain reaction. By brightening the life of
one person you also affect all those who
they then touch.
No gesture of giving or kindness is too
small. Holding the door open at a store,
helping someone carry groceries to their
car, letting another car in front of you,
saying please and thank you, and saying
hello to a stranger you pass on the sidewalk,
are some of the many things you can do
daily.
For family and friends, your time is one
of the most precious gifts you can offer. Are
you there for others when they need you?
Do you offer a hand without being asked?
Do you help out when asked?
Too often, people get caught up in their
own desires, thus losing sight of the needs
of others. A person who tries to get through
life by looking out for himself or herself first
is invariably frustrated. Often this person
views life as a competition to determine
who can accumulate more.
On the other hand, those who are
concerned for the well-being of others are
happier, more content and more satisfied.
By giving without expecting, they in turn
receive the things they need.
Giving is a simple concept that works
every time it is applied. There will be
people who don’t appreciate what you do,
but it doesn’t matter. You are giving without
anticipating anything in return. Besides,
there will be many more who are thankful
for your efforts.
If you don’t treat others well, buying a
gift won’t compensate for your behavior.
The recipient might like what you give them
but it won’t make up for your actions. You
can’t bribe someone to forgive the way you
treat them with a present.
The best gift you can receive is the joy of
making someone else happy. Being unself-
ish is a wonderful way to live. When you
give with no ulterior motives, your actions
are seen as genuine. Should you expect
something in return, your behavior is
always suspect. We all know people who do
nice things only when they want something
in return.
Make giving a daily routine. Don’t start
and end with the holiday season. Every day
is a good day to do something nice. When
people feel good due to your actions, you
can’t help but feel happy yourself. And that
is priceless. The most significant action you
can take is having a positive impact on the
lives of others.
———
Bryan Golden is the author of “Dare
to Live Without Limits.” Contact Bryan at
Bryan@columnist.com or visit www.Dare-
ToLiveWithoutLimits.com.
State should invest in children
KEVIN
FRAZIER
OTHER VIEWS
A
comparison of the economic histo-
ries of Boston and Philadelphia
teaches a lesson that every poli-
cy-maker should heed and every voter
should act on. When faced with economic
calamities and stumbling in the shadows
of uncertainty, the resilience of a city, a
state or a nation cannot be measured by the
success of a single industry nor the prof-
its of a few companies. Tech cannot save a
state. Unicorns cannot save a city. Plan-
ners cannot chart for a nation to follow to a
brighter future.
What matters most to a city’s sustained
and widespread growth is the quantity and
caliber of its human capital, which “refers
to the abilities and qualities of people that
make them productive,” according to The
Economist. Knowledge is widely regarded
as the key source of human capital, but
other behaviors, such as soft skills, and
attributes, such as good health, also deter-
mine human capital.
What leads to greater stocks of human
capital? There’s no single answer and there
are certainly no shortcuts. Instead, the
accumulation of human capital is a dynamic
process that occurs throughout our entire
life cycles. Families, schools, firms and
other institutions all help form human capi-
tal. And though older individuals can still
learn and employers can theoretically invest
in the development of their employees, one
time of life and a few institutions have an
outsized impact on the prevalence of human
capital in a specific area.
In economic terms, investments in
human capital at an earlier age have a higher
rate of return to the individual (and society)
than investments made later in life. In more
straightforward terms, the more you learn
at an early age, the longer you can apply that
knowledge. What’s more, if you learn more
early on, you’re capable of learning even
more later, learning begets learning.
Boston has grasped this lesson for gener-
ations. The city’s economy survived the
emergence of New York City as a regional
rival, the decline of whaling and seafar-
ing, and the transition from a manufac-
turing-based economy to one fueled by
tradable services and innovation. No one
leader oversaw the city’s ability to ride
these huge waves of economic disruption.
The city was kept afloat by having a large,
highly skilled workforce capable of adapt-
ing to new economic realities by quickly
learning new trades and organizing new
business endeavors. High rates of literacy,
a culture that reinforced self-discipline and
strong educational institutions and appren-
ticeship opportunities all contributed to this
workforce.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, relied
too long on its “first nature” advantage to
sustain its economy. For a while, being
near two rivers and having a relatively mild
climate allowed Philadelphia to ride the
same economic swells as Boston. Since
the 1920s, though, the city has struggled
to grow at the same rate as its regional
competitors. More highly skilled people left
for New York or Boston and, once there,
met several other highly-skilled people,
a daily and iterative process that left the
entire community smarter than the day
before (and certainly smarter than Philadel-
phia).
The only plan that’s ever made a
community more prosperous and resilient
over the long term is investing in human
capital. When a politician promises to bring
prosperity through quick fixes such as
attracting a new business or subsidizing a
single activity, you should be skeptical. The
best way to foster innovative and encour-
age a more adaptable economy is to invest
in as many younger residents as possible by
supporting early education via the family
and school, by making high quality health
care available to everyone (but especially
moms and youngsters), and by creat-
ing opportunities for knowledge sharing
through things like diverse and affordable
communities.
Oregon Gov. Robert Straub in 1977
declared, “Our most important resource
is our Oregon citizen.” He recognized that
“the young will build the Oregon of tomor-
row.” And, he pledged to more robustly
support our education system to aid the
youth in their construction of brighter days.
In other words, Oregon has heard this
message before (indeed, Oregonians have
heard this from several administrations).
Words don’t improve human capital. More
money into a flawed system also doesn’t
improve human capital.
Strategic investments in programs as
close as possible to young Oregonians and
their families can and will improve our
stock of human capital. The question is
whether our political leaders will do more
than give speeches on the topic.
———
Kevin Frazier formerly led Passport
Oregon, which helped young Oregonians
explore the state’s outdoors. He operates
No One Left Offline, which has distrib-
uted nearly 100 Wi-Fi hot spots through-
out Oregon. Kevin will graduate from the
University of California, Berkeley School of
Law in May 2022.
Memory of Pearl Harbor
should never fade
ANDREW
CUTLER
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
T
ragic events seem to become collec-
tive milestones in our lives.
Think of the deadly terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and it is easy to
look at that date as a dividing line between
what once was and how we live now.
For millions of Americans, the attack
on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, delivered
the same type of feeling. The attacks by the
Imperial Japanese Navy sank four battle-
ships and damaged four others. The day
pushed America into World War II and set
the stage for a long, bloody ordeal in the
Pacific that ended only when atomic bombs
were dropped on two Japanese cities in
1945.
The attack on Pearl Harbor held a
prominent place in the American collec-
tive consciousness for decades. More than
2,000 Americans were killed in the attack,
a butcher’s bill that would not be replicated
until 9/11.
The day symbolized so much for so
many for so long across the nation but,
80 years later, its significance and impact
has faded. Most of the people who fought
that day and survived have passed on. The
generation that lived through the attack
also is depleted by death, and with their
passing the meaning of the day — the
sacrifice, the bravery — has faded as well.
Now, as a nation, the 9/11 attacks are
the most recent national tragedy, and we
remember that terrible day with respect and
honor each year — as we should.
I hope, though, that somehow Dec. 7,
1941, doesn’t become just another date. It
shouldn’t. That’s because the day illustrates
the American quality of resilience, of being
able to respond to adversity.
The bombing of Pearl Harbor caught
the United States unprepared for war. The
attack shoved the nation out of the Great
Depression and put it on a path to war and,
after the guns went silent, to decades of
economic growth.
The nation rebounded from the attack,
went on the offensive and emerged from
World War II triumphant.
What I hope we don’t forget, though,
are the brave acts of the men on that fateful
day. Many of them died. For their sake, and
really for the sake of our country at large,
their sacrifice should not be allowed to fade
away into the pages of history.
———
Andrew Cutler is the publisher/editor of
the East Oregonian and the regional edito-
rial director for the EO Media Group, over-
seeing the East Oregonian and five more
newspapers in Eastern Oregon.