Weather ~ 10-20 ~ Picture of the Day ~ Elephants ~ Honey Bourbon Carrots ~ National Get Smart About Credit Day

  

Good 40º morning.

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 89º.

 

10-20 is a radio code for 'what is your location?'

 

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

 

Interesting about elephants...........

 

Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognized: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. The order was formerly much more diverse during the Pleistocene, but most species became extinct during the Late Pleistocene epoch. Distinctive features of elephants include a long proboscis called a trunk, tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive skin. The trunk is used for breathing, bringing food and water to the mouth, and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears, and convex or level backs.

 

Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia and are found in different habitats, including savannahs, forests, deserts, and marshes. They are herbivorous, and they stay near water when it is accessible. They are considered to be keystone species, due to their impact on their environments. Elephants have a fission–fusion society, in which multiple family groups come together to socialize. Females (cows) tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. The groups, which do not include bulls, are usually led by the oldest cow, known as the matriarch.

 

Males (bulls) leave their family groups when they reach puberty and may live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate. They enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth, which helps them gain dominance over other males as well as reproductive success. Calves are the center of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell, and sound; elephants use infrasound and seismic communication over long distances. Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans. They appear to have self-awareness, and appear to show empathy for dying and dead family members.

 

African bush elephants and Asian elephants are listed as endangered and African forest elephants as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past, they were used in war; today, they are often controversially put on display in zoos, or exploited for entertainment in circuses. Elephants are highly recognizable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture.

 

Elephants are the largest living terrestrial animals. African bush elephants are the largest species, with males being 10 ft 0 in – 11 ft 0 inches tall at the shoulder with a body mass of 5.7–7.6 short tons and females standing 8 ft 1 in – 8 ft 11 inches tall at the shoulder with a body mass of 2.9–3.9 short tons. Male Asian elephants are usually about 8 ft 7 in – 9 ft 6 inches tall at the shoulder and 3.9–5.1 short tons whereas females are 7 ft 6 in – 8 ft 3 inches tall at the shoulder and 2.5–3.4 short tons. African forest elephants are the smallest species, with males usually being around 6 ft 10 in – 7 ft 7 inches tall at the shoulder and 1.9–2.5 short tons. Male African bush elephants are typically 23% taller than females, whereas male Asian elephants are only around 15% taller than females.

 

Elephant ears have thick bases with thin tips. The ear flaps, or pinnae, contain numerous blood vessels called capillaries. Warm blood flows into the capillaries, helping to release excess body heat into the environment. This occurs when the pinnae are still, and the animal can enhance the effect by flapping them. Larger ear surfaces contain more capillaries, and more heat can be released. Of all the elephants, African bush elephants live in the hottest climates, and have the largest ear flaps. Elephants are capable of hearing at low frequencies and are most sensitive at 1 kHz (in close proximity to the Soprano C).

 

If you want to read a whole lot more about elephants, go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

 

 

 

 

The  Mr. Food Test Kitchen whipped up these amazing Honey Bourbon Carrots so you could enjoy a recipe that's sure to wow once you place it on the dinner table. The sweet flavors of honey, combined with the refined taste of bourbon, will bring your holiday dinner to the next level, and act as the finishing touch to a menu you'll never forget!

 

 

• 2 pounds baby carrots
• 1/4 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

1. Place carrots in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them. Over high heat, bring to a boil and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until fork tender; drain and return carrots to saucepan.
2. Add honey, bourbon, lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper to saucepan; mix well. Heat over medium heat 5 minutes or until heated through.

 

 

 

Historically this date......

1944 – Liquid natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland, then explodes; the explosion and resulting fire level 30 blocks and kill 130.

1968 – Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy marries Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

 

1976 – The ferry George Prince is struck by a ship while crossing the Mississippi River. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive.

1977 – A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines along with backup singer Cassie Gaines, the road manager, pilot, and co-pilot.

1981 – Two police officers and an armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery in Rockland County, NY, carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground.

1991 – The Oakland Hills firestorm kills 25 and destroys 3,469 homes and apartments, causing more than $2 billion in damage.

 

1991 – A 6.8 M_w earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people.

 

2011 – The former leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, and his son Mutassim Gaddafi are killed shortly after the Battle of Sirte while in the custody of NTC fighters.

 

And births this date include.... 

1931 – Mickey Mantle, American baseball player (d. 1995)

1942 – Earl Hindman, American actor (d. 2003)

1950 – Tom Petty, American musician (d.2017)

 

1958 – Viggo Mortensen, American actor

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Get Smart About Credit Day on the third Thursday in October annually promotes learning about good credit. It is a national campaign where volunteer bankers help counsel young people on responsible credit habits.

The importance of sound financial management is something that can and should be taught at a young age. Learning healthy credit habits can be one of the most valuable lessons a young person can learn. 

What Affects Credit Scores

• Amount of debt you carry– Paying off the amount you charge to your credit cards each month helps to improve this amount.  Showing that you are reducing debt each month gradually increases your score over time.
• Age of credit history– The older your credit history (and the longer it is in good standing) shows a trend toward reliable financial standing.
• Reports to collections agencies– Any inaccurate reporting to a credit agency needs to be reported immediately. The sooner you resolve an inaccuracy, the quicker your credit report can be corrected.  Obtain a letter from the collection agency once you have been able to confirm the error and submit it to all the credit reporting agencies.
• Late payments– Any time make a late payment, especially on a credit card or loan, this will be reflected on your credit report. Pay early, pay on time.  If you use your online banking system to make payments, remember to review your bank’s turn-around time for payments. Take their delays into account and schedule accordingly to avoid any late payments.
• The number of hard inquiries for credit– If you are considering a loan for a car or house, each inquiry will be registered on your credit report.  When your credit is in good standing, it doesn’t have a big impact.
• The number of accounts– Opening and closing accounts can have an impact on your credit score. Depending on the number of accounts, the impact on your score could be huge.

HOW TO OBSERVE GET SMART ABOUT CREDIT DAY

Make sure you are smart about credit. Access tools and resources to help you improve your credit score. Make it a routine to check your credit score and maintain it. Take steps to improve your credit score. Share your experiences and tips.

NATIONAL GET SMART ABOUT CREDIT DAY HISTORY

In 2003, the American Bankers Association (ABA) Education Foundation originated this National Day.

Weather ~ 10-19 ~ Picture of the Day ~ Transporting Children ~ Crispy Buttermilk Onion Rings ~ National Kentucky Day

  

Good 40º morning. 

 

 

10-19 is the radio code for 'return to your station'.

Yesterday we started clear and sunny................. we topped at 88º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about transporting children......

 

Various methods of transporting children have been used in different cultures and times. These methods include baby carriages (prams in British English), infant car seats, portable bassinets (carrycots), strollers (pushchairs), slings, backpacks, baskets and bicycle carriers.

 

The large, heavy prams (short for perambulator), which had become popular during the Victorian era, were replaced by lighter designs during the latter half of the 1900s.

 

Infant carrying likely emerged early in human evolution as the emergence of bipedalism would have necessitated some means of carrying babies who could no longer cling to their mothers and/or simply sit on top of their mother's back.

 

 

On-the-body baby carrying started being known in western countries in the 1960s, with the advent of the structured soft pack in the mid-1960s. Around the same time, the frame backpack quickly became a popular way to carry older babies and toddlers. In the early 1970s, the wrap was reintroduced in Germany. The two ringed sling was invented by Rayner and Fonda Garner in 1981 and popularized by Dr William Sears starting in around 1985. In the early 1990s, the modern pouch carrier was created in Hawaii. While the Chinese mei tai has been around in one form or another for centuries, it did not become popular in the west until it was modernized with padding and other adjustments. It first became popular and well known in mid-2003.

 

 

Wheeled devices are generally divided into prams, used for newborn babies in which the infant normally lies down facing the pusher, and the strollers, which are used for the small child up to about three years old in a sitting position facing forward.

History

William Kent developed an early stroller in 1733. In 1733, the Duke of Devonshire asked Kent to build a means of transport that would carry his children. Kent obliged by constructing a shell shaped basket on wheels that the children could sit in. This was richly decorated and meant to be pulled by a goat or small pony. Benjamin Potter Crandall sold baby carriages in the US in the 1830s which have been described as the "first baby carriages manufactured in the US" Another early development was F.A. Whitney Carriage Company. His son, Jesse Armour Crandall was issued a number of patents for improvements and additions to the standard models. These included adding a brake to carriages, a model which folded, designs for parasols and an umbrella hanger. By 1840, the baby carriage became extremely popular. Queen Victoria bought three carriages from Hitchings Baby Store.

 

The carriages of those days were built of wood or wicker and held together by expensive brass joints. These sometimes became heavily ornamented works of art. Models were also named after royalty: Princess and Duchess being popular names, as well as Balmoral and Windsor.

 

In June 1889, an African American man named William H. Richardson patented his idea of the first reversible stroller. The bassinet was designed so it could face out or in towards the parent. He also made structural changes to the carriage. Until then the axle did not allow each wheel to move separately. Richardson's design allowed this, which increased maneuverability of the carriages. As the 1920s began, prams were now available to all families and were becoming safer, with larger wheels, brakes, deeper prams, and lower, sturdier frames.

 

In 1965, Owen Maclaren, an aeronautical engineer, worked on complaints his daughter made about travelling from England to America with her heavy pram. Using his knowledge of aeroplanes, Maclaren designed a stroller with an aluminium frame and created the first true umbrella stroller. He then went on to found Maclaren, which manufactured and sold his new design. The design took off and soon "strollers" were easier to transport and used everywhere.

 

In the 1970s, however, the trend was more towards a more basic version, not fully sprung, and with a detachable body known as a "carrycot". Now, prams are very rarely used, being large and expensive when compared with "buggies" (see below). One of the longer lived and better known brands in the UK is Silver Cross, first manufactured in Hunslet, Leeds, in 1877, and later Guiseley from 1936 until 2002 when the factory closed. Silver Cross was then bought by the toy company David Halsall and Sons who relocated the head office to Skipton and expanded into a range of new, modern baby products including pushchairs and "travel systems". They continue to sell the traditional Silver Cross coach prams which are manufactured at a factory in Bingley in Yorkshire.

Since the 1980s, the stroller industry has developed with new features, safer construction and more accessories.

Prams

Larger and heavier prams, or perambulators, had been used since their introduction in the Victorian era; prams were also used for infants, often sitting up. The term carrycot became more common in the UK after the introduction of lighter units with detachable baby carriers in the 1970s.

 

As they developed through the years suspension was added, making the ride smoother for both the baby and the person pushing it.

The word pram is etymologically a shortening of its now less common synonym perambulator.

Strollers

'Strollers' or 'pushchairs/buggies' (British English), are used for small children up to about three years old in a sitting position facing forward.

"Pushchair" was the popularly used term in the UK between its invention and the early 1980s, when a more compact design known as a "buggy" became the trend, popularised by the conveniently collapsible aluminium-framed Maclaren buggy designed and patented by the British aeronautical designer Owen Maclaren in 1965. "Buggy" is the usual term in the UK (sometimes "pushchair"); in American English, buggy usually refers to a four-wheeled vehicle known as a quad or quad bike in the UK. "Stroller" is the usual term in the USA. Newer versions can be configured to carry a baby lying down like a low pram and then be reconfigured to carry the child in the forward-facing position.

A variety of twin pushchairs are manufactured, some designed for babies of a similar age (such as twins) and some for those with a small age gap. Triple pushchairs are a fairly recent addition, due to the number of multiple births being on the increase. Safety guidelines for standard pushchairs apply. Most triple buggies have a weight limit of 50 kg and recommended use for children up to the age of 4 years.

 

A travel system is typically a set consisting of a chassis with a detachable baby seat and/or carrycot. Thus a travel system can be switched between a pushchair and a pram. Another benefit of a travel system is that the detached chassis (generally an umbrella closing chassis) when folded will usually be smaller than other types, to transport it in a car trunk or boot. Also, the baby seat will snap into a base meant to stay in an automobile, becoming a car seat. This allows undisturbed movement of the baby into or out of a car and a reduced chance of waking a sleeping baby.

 

Another modern design showcases a stroller that includes the possibility for the lower body to be elongated, thereby transforming the stroller into a kick scooter. Steering occurs by leaning towards either side. Depending on the model, it can be equipped with a foot- and/or handbrake. Speeds up to 10 mph can be reached. The first stroller of this kind was the so-called "Roller Buggy", developed by industrial designer Valentin Vodev in 2005. In 2012 the manufacturer Quinny became interested in the concept and teamed up with a Belgian studio to design another model.

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Ever wonder how the restaurants make their onion rings so crispy-special? With our recipe for Crispy Buttermilk Onion Rings, you can too! Now, all you need to figure out is what you'll be dipping 'em into!

 

• 2 Spanish-type onions
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

 

1. Peel onions and cut into 1/3-inch slices; separate into rings.
    
2. Pour buttermilk into a large bowl; add onion rings and soak 30 minutes. 
    
3. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the lemon juice, egg, and water; stir until smooth. 
    
4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1-inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Remove onion rings from buttermilk and dip into batter mixture, then place in skillet and fry until golden brown, turning to brown evenly on both sides. Drain onion rings on paper towels.
   
   

 

***If your onions are small, use 4. These rings come out crunchiest when made in an electric skillet, because it's easier to keep the oil at a consistent temperature.

 

 

Historically this date........

1943 – Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, is isolated by researchers at Rutgers University.

1944 – United States forces land in the Philippines.

2004 – Care International aid worker Margaret Hassan is kidnapped in Iraq.

2005 – Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.

2005 – Hurricane Wilma becomes the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.

 

And births this date include....

1932 – Robert Reed, American actor (d. 1992)

1936 – Tony Lo Bianco, American actor

1945 – John Lithgow, American actor

1965 – Ty Pennington, American television personality

1967 – Amy Carter, daughter of US President Jimmy Carter

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On October 19, National Kentucky Day recognizes the 15th state to be granted statehood.

The Bluegrass State became the first to enter the union west of the Appalachian Mountains. Home to the Kentucky Derby, Fort Knox, and the birthplace of one the nation’s most beloved presidents, Kentucky is bordered by rivers on three of its four boundaries.

Musical roots run deep in Kentucky. There’s opportunity from ancient history to modern-day to explore all variety of music the state holds dear. Of course, it’s called The Bluegrass State for a reason!

When it comes to athletic pursuits, Kentuckians are skilled both on and off the court. The Kentucky Derby, one of the jewels of the Triple Crown, takes place in May every year in Louisville. Founded in 1875, the derby holds many traditions, including serving mint juleps.

On the court and the field, they keep up a fierce rivalry with their Hoosier neighbors.  Basketball, in particular, has held a strong tradition in the state.

Daniel Boone blazed trails through Kentucky, and several state parks and sites bear his name.  Along those paths are all the natural wonders of Kentucky. From the Mammoth Caves (they are mammoth because they’re the longest in the world) to the national forests, crystal clear lakes, and magnificent waterfalls.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL KENTUCKY DAY

Join National Day Calendar as we recognize Kentucky’s hidden treasures and natural beauty. Uncover tucked away places and find all Kentucky has to offer! 

For a complete list of Kentucky State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.parks.ky.gov and www.nps.gov.  Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below. 

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace – Hodgenville

Cumberland Gap – Middlesboro

Mammoth Cave – Mammoth Cave

Boone Station State Historic Site – Lexington

Carter Caves State Resort Park – Olive Hill

E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park – Louisville

Perryville Battlefield – Perryville

Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site– Wickliffe

MUSEUMS

Kentucky Derby Museum – Lousiville

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory – Louisville

KMAC Museum – Louisville

Muhammad Ali Center – Louisville

Creation Museum – Petersburg

Kentucky Museum – Bowling Green

Civil War Museum – Bardstown

General George Patton Museum of Leadership – Fort Knox

Bluegrass Heritage Museum – Winchester

Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum – Mt Vernon

The Lincoln Museum – Hodgenville

African American Heritage Center – Franklin