Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Broom History ~ Taco Potato Salad ~ David Smail ~ National Camera Day

  

Good 52º morning.

 

 

Yesterday the same as it has been most days..........

We topped at 98º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....funny street sign

 

Interesting about brooms..........

 

A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan.

 

A distinction is made between a "hard broom" and a "soft broom" and a spectrum in between. Soft brooms are used in some cultures chiefly for sweeping walls of cobwebs and spiders, like a "feather duster", while hard brooms are for rougher tasks like sweeping dirt off sidewalks or concrete floors, or even smoothing and texturing wet concrete. The majority of brooms are somewhere in between, suitable for sweeping the floors of homes and businesses, soft enough to be flexible and to move even light dust, but stiff enough to achieve a firm sweeping action.

 

The broom is also a symbolic object associated with witchcraft and ceremonial magic.

Etymology

The word "broom" derives from the name of certain thorny shrubs (Genista and others) used for sweeping. The name of the shrubs began to be used for the household implement in Late Middle English and gradually replaced the earlier besom during the Early Modern English period. The song Buy Broom Buzzems (by William Purvis 1752–1832) still refers to the "broom besom" as one type of besom (i.e. "a besom made from broom").

 

Flat brooms, made of broom corn, were invented by Shakers in the 19th century with the invention of the broom vice. A smaller whisk broom or brush is sometimes called a duster.

 

Manufacturer

In 1797, the quality of brooms changed when Levi Dickenson, a farmer in Hadley, Massachusetts, made a broom for his wife, using the tassels of sorghum, a grain he was growing for the seeds. His wife spread good words around town, creating demand for Dickenson's sorghum brooms. The sorghum brooms held up well, but ultimately, like all brooms, fell apart. Dickenson subsequently invented a machine that would make better brooms, and faster than he could. In 1810, the foot treadle broom machine was invented. This machine played an integral part in the Industrial Revolution.

United States

One source mentions that the United States had 303 broom factories by 1839 and that the number peaked at 1,039 in 1919. Most of these were in the Eastern United States; during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the number of factories declined to 320 in 1939. The state of Oklahoma became a major center for broom production because broom corn grew especially well there, with The Oklahoma Broom Corn Company opening a factory in El Reno in 1906. Faced with competition from imported brooms and synthetic bristles, most of the factories closed by the 1960s.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Our Taco Potato Salad is a new take on an old-summer classic. It's got a Tex-Mex twist, with all your favorite taco tastes, like black olives and tortilla chips! The editors at the Test Kitchen loved this, and we bet your family will too! So the next time you're grillin' up burgers or hot dogs, change it up with our scrumptious potato salad recipe!

 

• 3 pounds white potatoes
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 2 cups coarsely crushed ranch-flavored tortilla chips

 

1. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and taco seasoning; mix well.
3. Cut potatoes into ½-inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and remaining ingredients to potatoes and mix until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

 

Special birthday today.... one of "our sons" ... and retired LASD, David Smail is celebrating today. He was an Explorer Scout at Temple, worked at the coroner's office before becoming a Deputy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

           ^1980... David with my Kristen and Brian

 

Historically this date...........

1974 – Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Soviet Union to Canada while on tour with Bolshoi Ballet.

1995 – The Sampoong Department Store collapses in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul,South Korea, killing 501 and injuring 937.

 

2006 – Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.

 

2007 – Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

 

2012 – A derecho (wind storm!) strikes the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power.

 

And births this date..

1919 – Slim Pickens, American actor (d. 1983)

 

 

 

 

 

1944 – Gary Busey, American actor  (creepy!!!)

 

 

1962 – George D. Zamka, American colonel, pilot, and

 astronaut

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Thursday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Everything comes into focus on June 29th each year when we recognize National Camera Day. The day commemorates photographs, the camera, and their invention. A camera is an irreplaceable tool used to record and replicate memories, events, and people/places. Before the invention of the camera, the only resource to document a vision was a painting. Capturing an image of a person or place in a drawing took time and skill. Very few people can perfectly draw the likeness of someone, let alone capture the essence of an event.

The power of a camera provided many with a simple, inexpensive, and fast solution. George Eastman, also known as “The Father of Photography,” brought the camera to the masses. While he did not invent the camera, he did develop many additions improving the use, ease, and production of the camera. His developments made the camera widely available to homes around the world.

While the first cameras were large and bulky, each later design evolved until some cameras were as small as a pen. Today’s digital cameras have many features and variations, making them appealing to people of all ages for personal and professional use. The portable and easy to use features not only allow us to take photos quickly, but we can also edit them on the fly. Smartphones with built-in cameras include features that allow us to share photos instantly, too.

Taking photos has become so easy, that according to Business Insider, in 2017 over 1.2 trillion digital photos were taken. From a large boxy camera to one that fits in our pocket, cameras have come a long way.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Whether photography is a hobby or your profession, celebrate the day by taking photos. Snap a picture of something or someone you enjoy and cherish the memory. But taking pictures isn’t the only way to celebrate.

• Take a photography class.
• Teach someone how to take outstanding photos.
• Expand your photography skills by learning more about your camera.
• Try a different style of photography or camera.

Everything about taking quality photos begins with the best equipment you can find.