I enjoy reading newspapers; the more the merrier. I subscribe to papers from Austin, San Marcos, Wimberley and Lamesa. Plus the Sunday New York Times.
I like regular newsprint newspapers, not digital images on a screen. I like to turn the pages and savor the prose of good journalists. I like to look at great cartoons, artwork and photos that liven things up.
Let me share with you some information I picked up by reading just one of these publications – the Lamesa Press-Reporter. By the way, Lamesa is a West Texas town located not too far from Lubbock. This story from the paper was all about zebras: Zebras are quite amazing animals, their stripes are like the tiny lines on human fingerprints, insuring that no two zebras are exactly alike.
These stripes help protect zebras from predators such as leopards, lions and cheetahs. When a group of zebras stand close together, it is hard for predators to tell where one zebra starts and another ends. This optical illusion helps protect the zebra.
And zebras are really fast runners. They can sprint up to 65 miles per hour! At night, they have vision as good as owls and can see predators in darkness. Also, one zebra in the herd is designated to be on full alert to spot any predators.
Finally, the Lamesa paper has a feature on women breaking records. I learned that Gertrude (Trudy) Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel, on August 6, 1926. She swam some 35 miles in 14 hours and 3 minutes. She fought off large waves and her body was covered in thick oils to protect her from the cold and from stinging jellyfish.
So there you have it. If you want to be truly informed on fabulous factoids, subscribe to a newspaper.
And don’t forget to check on “Blondie” and “Beetle Bailey” while you’re at it.
