7 States In The United States

A couple weeks ago I went to visit two of my close friends in Seattle. The trip was great. I was able to see the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Pikes Place Market, and I was even able to attend a Seattle Seahawks football game (Fact: voted loudest NFL stadium). I am sad to say I did not have my camera on the trip (it was taken by a blind guy), so I am unable to put up pictures. For those of you who didn’t know, Seattle is in the great state of Washington. It is also home to Grey's Anatomy (I tried to find a hospital but I did get a picture with McDreamy) and Twilight (Edward and Jacob). When I think of Washington I think of rain and when I think of California I think of sun. I was talking to some friends the other day about state perceptions. I think they got mad because I told them when I think of California I think…Sun, Golden Gate, Beach and Vineyards. My friend said well don’t you think of the Gold Rush? I said, “Yeah I think I heard there was gold here once,” haha.

I thought it would be fun to do a little research on different states in the USA by looking at the perception of each state and then also their interesting facts. Here are some fun trivia facts about a couple different states. (50states.com)

Wisconsin- (had to start off with this one)
May Have Known:
-Dairy capital, Farms, Cheese, Beer, Cold Weather, Packers, ice fishing, Badgers, Lake Superior, Mississippi River

May Not Have Known:
-Milwaukee is home of Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
-Wisconsin visitors and residents enjoy the state's 7,446 streams and rivers. End-to-end they'd stretch 26,767 miles. That is more than enough to circle the globe at the equator.
-Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells is the nation's largest water-themed park.
-Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center on June 8, 1867.
-Wisconsin's top industry is tourism.

California:
May Have Known:
-Movie Stars, Beaches, Warm Weather, Gold Rush, Expensive Things, San Francisco, LA, Big Trees, Sun

May Not Have Known:
-California contains the lowest and the highest points in the continental U.S.
-California is home to the oldest, largest and tallest living things. The bristlecone pines of the eastern Sierras are 4,600 years old, General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest and California coastal redwoods are the tallest.
-One out of every eight United States residents lives in California.
-If California's economic size were measured by itself to other countries, it would rank the 7th largest economy in the world.

Washington:
May Have Known:
-Mild Temperature, Rain, Fog, Starbucks, Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, Microsoft, Evergreen State, Mt. Rainer, Greys Anatomy, Apples

May Not Have Known:
-Washington was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States, and is the only U.S. state named after a president.
-The Lewis and Clark expedition entered the state on October 10, 1805.
-The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.
-Popular games Pictionary, Pickle-ball, and Cranium were all invented in Washington.
-The highest point in Washington is Mount Rainier. It was named after Peter Rainier, a British soldier who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War.

Kentucky:
May Have Known:
Fried Chicken, Louisville, Horse Racing, college basketball

May Not Have Known:
-Cheeseburgers were first served in 1934 at Kaolin's restaurant in Louisville.
-The song "Happy Birthday to You" was the creation of two Louisville sisters in 1893.
-The first town in the United States to be named for the first president was Washington. It was named in 1780.
-The world's largest free-swinging bell known as the World Peace Bell is on permanent display in Newport.

Louisiana:
May Have Known:
-New Orleans, Jazz, Mardi Gras, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Street Music, Dancing, French, Katrina, Sugar Cane, Bayou

May Not Have Known:
-Louisiana is the only state in the union that does not have counties. Its political subdivisions are called parishes.
-Milk was adopted as the official drink of Louisiana in 1983.
-Baton Rouge was the site of the only battle fought outside of the original 13 colonies during the American Revolution.
-Louisiana is the largest producer of oysters in the United States.

Vermont:
May Have Known:
-Fall, Maple Syrup, Ben and Jerry’s, IBM, Museums, Lake Champlain

May Not Have Known:
-With a population of fewer than nine thousand people, Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest state capital in the U.S..
-Until 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart.
-Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores.
-In ratio of cows to people, Vermont has the greatest number of dairy cows in the country.

Texas:
May Have Known:
-Size, Cowboys, Alamo, Oil, Cotton, Texas Rangers, Lone Star State, Football, Big Hats

May Not Have Known:
-More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
-Austin is considered the live music capital of the world.
-Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885.
-The armadillo is the official state mammal.
-Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Here are just some states. I will do more in a future blog. Enjoy!!

The Great Hunt

How to Hunt…There are many different types of hunting. Since I can remember my dad would go out with his hunting buddies and his bow or a gun and coming back with a deer (Bambi) or a turkey (if he is lucky ha-ha). Hunting has been around for thousands of years. It started as a form of survival of the fittest, where the men would go out to hunt with spears made of wood or stone to bring back food for the family. Today is has evolved to more of a sport, where hunters are using specialized bow and arrows and guns. Although hunting is very exciting, this type of hunting is not exactly what I am going to be talking about. Some of you may know and some of you may not, but there is a little thing called Mullet Hunting.

History of the Mullet:
The mullet dates back to the 19th century or even farther, but the mullet that we all have grown to love (or dislike) first appeared in the 60’s when pop singer Tom Jones rocked it. Merriam-Webster defines The Mullet as “a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back". It is also known as business in the front and party in the back. It did not become really popular until the early 80’s, and I only really know one person who has a mullet today and Steve said to me, “A mullet is more than a hair cut, it’s a lifestyle”.

Mullet Accessories:
Moustaches
Scraggly Beards
Goatees
Sunglasses
Lack of showering

Type of Mullets: There are tons of mullets, more than I can even list. Here are the main types of Mullets you will come across.


Mullet – Male Mullet


Femullets – Female mullets


Chullets – Child Mullets


Skullets – Bald people mullets


Rat Tailluts – Mullets with a rat tale

How to Mullet Hunt:
Stealth Mode: This is where you take a picture from a far away distance. You can stand behind trees or cars while taking the picture so you are not seen.
Result: Picture may be unclear or far away.

Bait Mode: This is the most common form of any type of human “picture hunting” (Anna). A person will first have their friend stand by the mullet, you then pretend like you’re taking a picture of your friend (bait). However, you really focus the photo on the mullet. You are able to get up close and personal.
Result: Closer up picture, but mullet may not be looking at the camera

Guerilla Mode: This is where you walk straight up to a mullet and snap a picture right in their face. The prize is you are able to get a more bewildered look. There are different things you can do after you take the picture; act like you didn’t mean to take it or you can walk/run away.
Result: Experts say you get the good results from this type of hunting; it’s the closest you can get to the mullet.

Call Out Mode: This is where you ask someone to take a picture with them. If you are really daring you can ask them to turn to the side to get the full affect.
Result: Very good results, best angles are found here.

Where do I find a Mullet? Now you may be saying to yourself, “Kennedy, where can I go mullet hunting?”
-Amusement parks
-Water Parks
-Wal-Mart
-Small or large County Fairs
-Really any place where there are a lot of “white trash” people



*Information found on MulletJunky.com*

What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile. - William Sokolin

(Wine Part 1) Wine is a naturally occurring product that has been around for more than 6,000 years, ever since people learned how to ferment grapes. Since I have moved to California, I have been to both Napa and Sonoma numerous times and gone on different wine tours and participated in many different tastings. I have had many discussions related to how wine is made and the different types of wine that exist. Now although wine is not my favorite drink (milk is), I would have to say it is my favorite alcoholic drink now that I am older. The parties I now attend I try to stay away from the shots and hard alcohol and stick to wine or beer (unless I am at Laurens parent’s house where a shot of patron is a tradition).

I did a little research by asking some vineyard owners/tour guides questions, and found my facts from Quamut. The first thing that I have learned is how wine is made. The total process of making wine is very easy but the “details are difficult” when it comes to turning grapes into the perfect wine.

The steps include:

-Grow grapes
-Pick the grapes
-Crush the grapes
-Collect grapes in fermentation cask (yeast transforms the sugar in the juice into alcohol – called fermentation)
-Wine matures in casks
-Age wine in bottles


Sonoma, California

That all sounds so easy right? Well, I am not going to say I know everything about wine, and if I was talking to my parents or my friend Emily I would look like I know next to nothing. That being said, I was interested in what makes a “good wine”. I have always been told a higher price doesn’t automatically mean it’s a better wine. So how is a good wine made?

“The Grape” – The type of grapes used to make wine determine the character of the wine. There are different types of grapes that make different types of wine, i.e. white wine vs. red wine. The same type of grape can have different characteristics, “Pinot Noir grapes taste different from wine made from cabernet Savignon grapes”.
“Environment” – Sunshine, humidity, rainfall, soil and temperature all affect wines taste and character. There are many vineyards that use the same grape but because they are in a different location the taste can be totally different. Then you can also have the same grape on the same land, but a different year can yield a very different taste.
“Cask Material” – There are two different types of casks which serve for different purposes. There are stainless steal casks which are nonreactive and used to let wine keep a fruity flavor. Then you have the oak casks which lessen the fruit and pass on an oaky or nutty flavor. This also gives the wine a smooth texture.
“Aging Time” - Aging is very important for different wines; the amount of aging depends on the type of wine. A wine will improve with age until it reaches a peak and then it will decline in taste.

Then you have different types of wines:

Red Wine Traits:
Flavors: strong and rich
Color: dark purple to full red to russet brown
How to make: crush black (purple) grapes and leave the juice with the skin on for a few days to a few weeks. The skin gives the wine its color and structure.

White Wine Traits:
Flavors: delicate in flavor and served chilled
Color: pale yellow to deep gold to pale green
How to make: crush “white grapes” (pale yellow)

Rose Wine (Blush):
Flavors: refreshing chilled to about 60 degrees
Color: light red to pink blush
How to make: Blush’s are made from red wine grapes but only left with the skin for a couple hours.

Sparkling Wines:
Flavors: fresh and bubbly
Color: pale yellow to deep gold
How to make: They do the first stage of fermentation and then they put it through a second stage of fermentation adding sugar and yeast to create carbon dioxide bubbles. Sparkling wines are usually made from white grapes.


Natural Progression of Wine Drinking:
I have had friends who don’t drink wine ask me, which is better white or red? When I first started drinking wine I started with white and now I prefer red wine. Doing more research I found out that there is a natural progression to wine drinking with the more wine you drink and the more you deepen your taste buds. Typically one starts out with a sweet white, then moves on to a dry white, then gets into sweet red and eventually progresses to a dry red. They say that once you develop a taste for the tannins in red wine, whites are not as pleasing as they were before. I believe that you should just drink what you enjoy, because to each it's own.


Sonoma, California

So there you have it, I will keep expanding on your wine knowledge next time.
*all this information can be found at Quamut.com

Fun Wine Facts:
-Ninety-two percent of California wineries produce fewer than 100,000 cases per year. Sixty percent produce fewer than 25,000 cases.
-Egg whites, bull’s blood, and gelatin have all been used as fining agents to remove suspended particles from wine before bottling. Egg whites are still commonly used.
-The Napa Valley crop described in 1889 newspapers as the finest of its kind grown in the U.S. was hops.

Health Care...bah. Who needs it??

Sorry it has been awhile, my parents were in town.

If anyone knows me they know I enjoy talking/debating politics. I think it comes from my love of competition. When it comes to debates, there are four things that need to happen for it be successful.

1. Passion/opinion for a topic
2. Facts regarding the stance
3. Ability to communicate
4. Ability to see both sides

I was on debate teams in college for the Student Economic Society and have been debating throughout my whole life to anyone who will take an opposing side. I enjoy debating not to change someone’s mind, but to maybe allow both of us to understand or see both sides. The big question that people are facing today is, "Should all Americans be provided with Health Insurance?" A lot of people are very passionate about each side being either for or against the Obama’s Universal Health Care Plan. The problem is most Americans right now are very confused about what is really going on. I hear a lot of people saying, “I don’t know enough about it”. So I am going to try to provide both facts and some opinions on the health care bill and reform.

After researching a little bit more, I am coming across more and more information for the argument that we actually are already paying for Universal Health Care we are just not getting anything out of it. The problem that we face in today’s society is that people who don’t have insurance are typically people who can’t pay premiums. One thing that a lot of private insurance agencies are doing is not allowing anyone who is at risk of getting sick to be covered. The people who are getting coverage are healthy and young. Even in the workplace, deductibles and copays are getting so high that people are actually paying for their own health care.

60% of people who have insurance already are having it paid for by the taxpayer’s people on Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran Administration or those employed by the Federal Government, States, County and towns (Sam Smith). Another way taxpayers are already paying for Universal Health Care is due to ‘patient dumping’ which is “The practice of only treating patients that can pay” (Babylon Free Dictionary) so the rest go to the ER. There is a wide range of people who need the ER, for minor items such as flu or strep to larger problems like drug addiction and alcoholism. Hospitals have no choice but to put those costs on the people who can pay.

That being said, I have realized how long this blog could be. I don’t want to turn into a blogger who writes on and on so you stop reading. Here are some facts about health care for both sides.

I would like to start off by providing you the bill, it's really long ha-ha.
http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

Pros:
-Everybody can have health insurance if they want it. Not just ER visits ,but they are able to see a General Doctor too.
-In the long run, this will help reduce medical costs so they don’t keep rising. People say that their kids will be paying in the future; they are going to be paying either way with the constant rise in health care.
-Reduce medical bankruptcy. There will no longer be caps on coverage so insurance agencies can no long say, “We are done helping you; you’re on your own now”.
-Increased competition from public option, non-profit, state-specific corporations. This will help lower costs and provide better service.
-Medications are given a set price.
-Creates a healthier population as a whole.
-Individuals will not be able to be denied coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition.
-You get to choose if you want it or not. If you want to stay with your private insurance agency then you can.
-The plan is geared to find wasteful spending and recycle it back into the plan.
-People with terminal illnesses will get coverage.

Cons:
-It is going to cost money. For the first 10 years it will cost $100 billion a year. This is how much it cost for a year in the Iraq War.
-There is going to be something called an Individual Mandate. This means you have to buy health insurance, and if you don’t you will have a 2% tax increase. This will be subsidized, but depending on your situation there is no guarantee.
-Tax Increase on very high income people. If you make more than a half a million you will have about a 1% tax increase. This money will go to one organization so you will not have a choice on who is helped.
-Atheistic appeal of hospitals may go away.
-Takes huge profit from health insurance companies.

Pros and Cons (Some view as good some view as bad)
-Increase in government involvement. The government already plays a big part in health care so it really wouldn’t be too different.
-Large employers may also have to offer health insurance to more of their employees. If they do not, they may have to pay some extra tax.
-Progress and change

One thing I have heard is that by changing the health care system we will no longer be the “best health care system in the world”. In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) came up with a way to measure the quality of health care.

-Health Level: 25%
-Health Distribution: 25%
-Health Responsiveness: 12.5%
-Responsiveness Distribution: 12.5%
-Financial Fairness: 25%

The WHO poll was taken in 2000 and 40 countries were ranked. The United States came in 15th for overall quality of health care. The Commonwealth Fund ranked the U.S 19th and stated that the US has the highest infant mortality rate of all developed countries. The United States is the only wealthy developed country that does not offer Health Care. CNN reported that medical bills resort to 60% of the U.S. bankruptcy’s, 75% of those people had health insurance. The WHO also reports that the United States Ranks 20th for Overall Life Expectancy. So for those people who like to compare Canada and France to the US, they in fact have a much higher life expectancy than the United States. Facts are facts. I do want to point out that America has great medical schools, research programs and people do come from all over the world for care in the United States for specialized procedures.

We need to find a way to insure every American. Not a lot of people can disagree with that. "At a time of foreclosures and job losses, the last worry anyone needs is whether they can get thoughtful care with appropriate follow-up if an emergency befalls them.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) (www.Familydoctormag.com) The other thing we cant have happen is, “Expensive enterprise of medical care doesn’t become a new pork barrel of inefficiency.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) The third thing is cost efficiency, “Tremendous efficiencies are possible because they are currently being achieved by our economic competitors around the world. The United States currently has the developed world’s most inefficient system, costing more than twice as much as other systems while performing poorly on many health indices.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) I hope this helps some of you clear up both sides. This is a very messy topic and I try to see both sides, but bottom line is our current health care system is not working. Something needs to happen, progress needs to happen, and we can no longer just keep waiting.

Importance of Travel

Belize

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel it.” -Rosalia de Castro

I have also been able to travel with friends and family throughout my whole life. I have lived in three different states and two different countries. I was able to spend a semester in Scotland traveling all over Europe and I also studied in Belize/Guatemala. Although going to Europe is great, I have also been on some great trips that are only a couple hours from my home. Not only is travel a form of escape and relaxation, which I feel like everyone needs in their life, it’s also a way to branch out and test yourself and your boundaries.


Dukes Palace that I lived in while in Scotland

Once you’ve decided you want to travel, you have to choose what type of traveler you want to be. There is educational travel, spiritual travel, work travel, vacation travel, and/or random travel. There is also a difference between being a traveler and being a tourist.

Traveler: Typically are in a place for an extended period of time taking long vacations or sabbaticals. They don’t have their camera on their hip the whole trip. They visit the “unknown” places. Tourist: Are in it for the short run. They enjoy seeing all the “hot spots” and/or lying by the beach all day.

Although reading about places is interesting, by experiencing the place you can learn more about the place and yourself. Since moving to California, I have realized that there are many different types of people in this world. There are people who like “things” and people who like “experiences”. A good question to ask yourself is, “What do you want to define who you are?”

Major things you take away from traveling:
- Knowledge about different cultures, foods and climates
- Obtain a better understanding about who you are
- Gain a better understanding about what you want out of life
- Increase appreciation for your own country (Ranch Dressing for me)
- Attain a feeling that everything is new and that the possibilities are endless
- Develop big picture thinking
- Boost your independence
- Gain patience and cultural understanding

So for those of you who enjoy having that large screen TV (invite me over) over taking a trip, remember all the awesome things you can get out of traveling. If you are the “things” person and that’s how you like it, that’s all good too. Remember that everything you do everyday defines and shapes who you are and want to be.

How to scare kids.....without being a stalker

I thought I would start off with an easy how to topic. This topic can go in many different directions. I am going to try to focus on something that most people don’t do on a daily basis. So how to make a frozen pizza would be out of the picture.

If there was one thing I learned about this past weekend it was that I am getting older. I am no longer spending my Halloween at the bars downtown in whatever city I may be living in at that moment. Oh no no no, I am spending my time (past week) building and running (with my roommates) a haunted house in our garage. While the little kids were going through the haunted house last weekend, I heard one little girl say, “How did you make this?” and my friend answered back, “With time and money”.

Although my roommate Jenna is someone who just happens to have a million Halloween decorations in her possession, I still never realized how much time it takes to set up a haunted house. I will take you step by step on HOW TO make/run a haunted house.

Step 1. Find two roommates who are obsessed with Halloween. Lauren was the supervisor, Jenna was project manager and I was in charge of advertising.

Step 2. Create a blueprint in regards to the layout of the haunted house and what stations you want to have.

Step 3. Create a “kill room” outline in the garage with black painter’s tarp. Make hallways with the black tarp leaving hidden hallways for people to stand in to scare people.

Step 4. Build different stations. The stations we created were:
a. Spooky Forest: Make large tress, and above them hang brown paper branches with purple lights attached. We also had fake spiders and bats hanging down and taped spooky eyes all around.
b. Witches Kitchen: An interactive touch station with maggots (rice), eye balls (grapes), hearts (pealed tomatoes), and Goblin Guts (macaroni with cornstarch and water). Then hire a stand-in Witch (Steph) to say, “Hello my children, would you like to touch my last victim’s eye balls?”
c. Haunted Hallway: Use foam poster board and cut out different size frames which are taped onto the black tarp. Then people with masks stand still in the frames, and when people walk by they say, “Boo!”
d. Mad Scientist Laboratory: Use a black light and have a bunch of different sized glasses with water in them. You then take highlighters apart and stick them in the water which allows for a glowing affect when put next to the black light. Put a couple fake feet and hands in the area with gray mice all over and you are set. Then you ask your boyfriend to dress up like a mad scientist and have him scare the little kids.
e. Ghostly Graveyard: For this you just need fake graves and a roommate whose parents have a life size skeleton. With a smoke machine and strobe lights it can be pretty freaky. Then you put a coffin (refrigerator box) at the end with Danny jumping out of it.

Step 5. Print off 75 flyers advertising for the haunted house and use up two lunches passing out the flyers to every neighbor within 1 mile.

Step 6. Make sure you have secured top actors who show up before the haunted house opens.

Step 7. Wait till 7:00pm and hope kids show up.

Step 8. Finish at 9:00pm and start the after party complete with a dance party.

The haunted house went off without a hitch. I am surprised at how much got done in the last hour before it opened. We had a lot of fun and the neighbors all asked if we were doing it again next year. So if you’re not going to the bars and would like to venture out and try something new, I would suggest a haunted house.

I will be putting up pictures soon. Sorry my camera was stolen by a blind person that night but I will be getting it back soon.

My Elevator Story

My Elevator Story: My name is Kennedy…I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and went to school at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. About a year ago I moved to Northern California to start a new adventure. I have two homes one in Loomis and one in San Franciscoon the weekends. I love to try new things and enjoy meeting new people.

I have read many blogs over the years and I have finally decided to write my own. Why? Because I love to learn, be creative and express to others my thoughts. A lot of people who write blogs (well ones that I have read) start out by saying they have had a love for writing since a young age or they are in fact writers by profession. Let’s just say I am totally different than those people.

The first time I remember ever writing a story I had so many spelling errors that my teacher had my mom come in to meet with her. I got diagnosed with dyslexia days later. Since then I have gone through “treatments” to help me with my dyslexia and I am happy to say I am now a college graduate (in business not English lets not get ahead of ourselves). I will admit I still need to put up the “L’s” with my hands to figure out which way is left and right.

I guess it’s time to tell everyone what I will be writing about. I have thought about this for awhile now. I was told by many people that this can make or break a blog and since I plan on my blog making me millions I need to get it right. This blog will not totally be about me. I am going to talk about four different topics: travel, food and wine, politics and how to. All things I love.

In school I always loved doing research and preferred writing papers instead of taking tests. There are two things I hope to bring to this blog: information and humor. I am also a big fan of Wikipedia (not only because they were one of my clients at work, but I just love the quick fix or blast of knowledge). I know people view Wikipedia as not a “valid source” but I am good friends with the Director of Engineering and I am hear to tell you that 90% (made up number) of the information found on the Wiki sites is pretty valid. That being said I would still never cite Wikipedia as a source. I guess my quest is to be that quick fix or blast of knowledge in peoples lives daily, as so many blogs I read daily are for me.

I would love any feedback in regards to the blogs I write and or future topics you maybe would like me to discuss. Any comments or emails would be appreciated.