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Fireworks and Safety for the 4th of July

Fireworks and Safety for the 4th of July

Fireworks are part of the July 4th celebrations. They are synonymous to the nation’s birthday as backyard barbecues, parades down the main street, and apple pie. They are relatively safe if only people use their common sense. There are also some easy to follow rules that make handling fireworks in County fairgrounds safer. But even with the rules, it seems like people ignore the rules. Each year people are brought to the emergency room due to fireworks-related injuries around the July 4th celebrations. People should remember that fireworks are dangerous and can cause serious burns. If you are tasked to set up fireworks at the county fairgrounds, there are some things that you must do first. One of the first things you need to do is to make sure you have already appointed a firing team. It should be composed of no more than three people with one person serving as the leader of the group. Members of the firing team must have experience of lighting fireworks and have knowledge of safety regulations.   Organizing the Fireworks Display You must ensure that the firing site can accommodate all the fireworks you intend to fire. There must be ample spacing in order to avoid accidental firing of fireworks. Don’t forget to read the instructions on all the fireworks. Each item behaves differently and might be required to be set up and installed in several ways. Make sure that the right side is facing the audience, especially the fan style cakes. There are some types that are required to be buried in soft earth or attached to wooden stakes buried in the ground. These are candles, fountains, and cakes. If they are attached to wooden stakes, they should be attached with strong cloth tape to ensure that the firework stays behind the stake and doesn’t fall over or face the crowd. The fireworks must be angled away from the crowd. If the weather is not too nice, you can use plastic bags to keep fireworks dry. Some fountains have a cone shape and make them hard to be attached to anything. You can place the fountain on a flat surface and avoid placing it on the grass that could make the firework unstable and tip over. Rockets should be launched from tubes. You can make a DIY project using plumbing pipe. Just make sure that the stick of the rocket can freely liftoff form the pipe. It must not get stuck in the pipe. If the rocket has a [...]

By |2019-03-24T20:59:45+00:00June 12th, 2014|4th July, County Fairgrounds, Countyfairgrounds, Fireworks, Holidays|0 Comments
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Top Pig Diseases Caused By Viruses

There are many viral diseases that can hit pigs. The severity of their effect varies from country to country, from farm to farm. However, knowing what each disease looks like when it affects your pigs may help you contain them to reduce the losses that it would have caused. Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Foot-and-mouth disease would show in how pigs suddenly reduce their food consumption and how they would look depressed. It also comes with fevers reaching about 40.5º C. Piglets affected by the condition usually experience cardiac failure and die. Vesicles of up to 30mm would appear later, and are often found near the coronets and appear a little on the lips and nose. The disease can be transmitted through direct and indirect contact with infected pigs. The virus can spread by saliva, aerosol, blood, nasal discharge, feces, urine, semen, meat or bones of the infected animals, and infected animal by-products. FMD cannot be treated, so the affected pigs should be destroyed. This can be prevented by routine vaccination, although this will only last for six months. Farmers should be cautious of the symptoms to prevent the spread before it gets worse. FMD is highly infectious and can spread rapidly throughout the population of animals, even reaching long distances, depending on the wind. This makes it harder and more costly to control. African Swine Fever This often affects domestic pigs. Its common symptoms include blotching of skin, fever, and the hemorrhaging of internal organs, lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. The virus can spread through direct contact with the infected pigs and fomites, tick bites, ingestion of contaminated uncooked pig by-products, and contact with wild carrier and domestic pigs. The carcass of the affected animals is condemned. All of the herd hit by ASF would become ill and most of them would die. There is no treatment available, which is why some countries infected by the ASF often resort to a slaughter policy to completely eradicate the virus and contain its spread. Affected animals should be kept away from the unexposed animals as a preventive measure. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) This is a highly contagious viral disease among pigs, which has recently affected virus states in the US. It was first diagnosed in the country in May 2013. This causes severe diarrhea and dehydration among pigs. of animals, even reaching long distances, depending on the wind. This makes it harder and more costly to control. African Swine Fever This often affects domestic pigs. Its common symptoms include blotching [...]

By |2019-03-24T21:18:49+00:00May 31st, 2014|Pigs, Viral Diseases|0 Comments
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Lemonade

Lemonade in the USA and Canada is a uncarbonated drink, basically made from squeezed lemon juice, water and sugar. It could have artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Then there is alcholic lemonade which also popular is sweetened artificially. There are a lot of variants in lemonade of the fruit nature. These usually consist of raspberries, grapefruit, grapes, red cherry, cranberries, strawberris and grenadine ( Wikipedia - describes grenadine -The Mott's brand "Rose's", by far the most common grenadine brand in the United States, [3] is presently formulated using (in order of concentration): high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, FD&C Red #40, natural and artificial flavors, and FD&C Blue #1.[4]. There are all kinds of variations on lemonade as might be expected, it depends to what country you are referring. There are health benefits to Lemons Lemons have natural healing power. Here is a website that offers 15 Hidden Health Secrets of Lemons. Some of which are abolishing acne, cankor sore relief, curing corns and callus (something my runners feet could use help with), fight fatigue, healing hypertension, pulverize pain, varicose veins and more. Take a look at that article above.    Anyway adding sugar to your lemon mixture may take away some of the benefits of lemons or at least reduce the benefits of them. Here are -

By |2017-06-29T21:46:13+00:00May 19th, 2014|Fruit, Lemonade, Sugar|0 Comments
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Types of Domestic Pigs

Domestic Pigs: How They Evolved, How They Live? Swine, or domesticated pigs and hogs are omnivorous animals that are generally commercially raised for pork meat and leather. In the United States, a “pig” is a young swine weighing less than 120 pounds while a “hog” is a more mature one which weighs more than 120 pounds. The swine belongs to the same family as wild boars wart hogs, bush pigs and babyrusas. Their common characteristics include a stout, stocky torso, short legs with four hoofed toes each, a long head, short pointed ears, small eyes and a distinctive snout, tipped with of a round cartilaginous disk and terminal nostrils which allows them to move their nose as they sniff their way along the ground while foraging for food. Most breeds of domestic pigs and hogs have sparse hair covering their skin. They are sociable and smart animals and, like dogs, can be taught and trained to perform a variety of tricks and tasks. Dwarf breeds, like the pot-bellied pigs, can make excellent house pets. According to the National Pork Board, most swine bred for consumption are the offspring of a combination of one of five dark breed boars bred to one of three white breed sows. This is because the dark breed boars enhance the meat quality of their offspring while the white breed females are used for their ability to produce many piglets as well as for their maternal instincts which allow more piglets to survive. There are many combinations of breeds and genetic lines used to influence the characteristics each producer looks for with regard to meat quality, farming method and the hog market. The most popular commercial breeds in the United States are the Berkshire, the Chester White, the Duroc the Hampshire, the Landrace, the Poland China, the Spotted Pig and the Yorkshire. Aside from the commercially farmed swine, there are the so-called “heritage breeds.” These are breeds which come from bloodlines that goes back hundreds of years when livestock was raised on open-pasture farms. Unveiling the Unique Qualities of Exceptional Domesticated Pigs The quality of their pork have certain desirable characteristics, including the rich taste of their meat, the distinct marbling, the bacon flavors and creamy fat. Heritage breeds, unfortunately, are generally not suited for commercial farming. There are thirteen known heritage breeds in the United States. They are: the Choctaw, the Gloucastershire Old Spot, the Guinea Hog, the Hereford, the Iberian, the Lacombe, the Large Black, the Large White, the Mangalitsa or [...]

By |2024-01-13T00:30:37+00:00May 8th, 2014|Animals, Hogs, Pigs|1 Comment
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Pigs as House Pets

Pigs are smart, sociable, playful animals. They even have personality. Like dogs they can be trained to do tricks, wear a leash, use a litter box, respond to their individual names when called. But will they make good house pets? That depends on how large your house is and on how much time and attention you are willing to set aside in the care of your pet pig. Those cute, cuddly miniature pigs, micro pigs, pocket pigs or teacup pigs sold as pets in most regular pet shops won’t always remain small. Even Paris Hilton’s famous teacup pig, which she bought in 2009, is now over a hundred pounds big. So if you plan on keeping one indoors, make sure you have enough space in the house. Since pigs by nature are territorial, it is best to give your pet a room of its own, with a pile of blankets it can nest on. Also, it is important to give your pet pig easy access to the outside. Pigs are instinctively compelled to forage about for food and their metabolism require them to get frequent mud baths. If your pet pig can’t get outdoor when it needs to, chances are it just might do some serious damage to your house and belongings. It can overturn appliances and furnitures, bite through your carpet and make a mess out of your bathroom. If you do decide to keep a pig as a house pet, it is important that you frequently clean, sanitize and disinfect your home and everything inside it to prevent parasites from breeding. Pigs are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can find or are given. Unfortunately, they are also prone to getting very obese easily, which in turn can lead to other health issues. So if you want to keep your pet pig fit and trim, you should probably just give it a regular diet of the commercial feed that are sold at the pet shop. These branded specially-formulated mini pig feed are high in fiber but low on calories. You can also supplement your pig’s diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, corn and celery. Of course, you should give your pet pig free access to clean drinking water at all times. Your pet pig’s food and water dispensers should always be cleaned thoroughly after every use. You should bring your pet pig to a veterinarian for check-ups and vaccination regularly. A healthy pet mini or teacup pig can [...]

By |2019-04-14T00:40:09+00:00April 9th, 2014|House Pet Pigs, Pigs|0 Comments
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Fermented Foods, Health Fad or Fab?

Fermented Foods: The Ultimate Guide to Good Bacteria Bacteria in food? Sounds gross alright. Will a restaurant advertising “bacteria-filled” food even make a sale? People would probably just forgo this for a popular fast-food chain. But did you know that you may be better off eating some kinds of bacteria-laden food rather than munching on a bowl of fries? You see, there are two kinds of bacteria- the good and the bad. While you want to kill the latter with an antibacterial agent right away, you need to have as much as you can of the good kinds. One of the best sources of good bacteria are fermented foods. Fermented Foods?  What are they? Fermentation is the process by which organic substances are transformed into simpler compounds. This is made possible with the use of catalysts such as yeasts, molds or bacteria. Fermented foods are often described by food enthusiasts as having a “unique taste” or a cross between fresh and rotten. They will not usually say that it’s delicious but some of the expensive delicacies of today have undergone fermentation, producing exotic tastes. The process of fermenting foods dates back to almost 8,000 years ago. Our ancestors developed this by chance and some even associated this with a divine intervention. Bacteria was not a known phenomenon back then but what our ancestors did notice was the energy they had from consuming fermented foods. Fermented Delicacies Foods on your shelf may not be labelled as such but some of these have undergone fermentation. Coffee beans for example are exposed to natural yeasts and bacteria when air dried, adding richness to its flavor. That wine served while you were dining out in an expensive restaurant are crushed grapes treated with yeast just like the beer you share with your buddies. Other fermented products that could be easily acquired in the supermarket are yogurt, bread, pickles, cheese, chocolate, tea, and salami. Each country have their own variety of fermented foods. For example, Korea is known for its kimchi, China for century egg and miso for Japan. Health Benefits The most popular reason why fermented foods are recommended by experts is because these are rich in lactobacilli. How can this be beneficial to your health? Contrary to common belief that the presence of lactobacilli is only beneficial for the gut, the discovery of Guts and Physiology syndrome (GAPS) established a connection in digestive processes affecting the way the brain works. The overall health of digestive system has been linked to [...]

By |2024-01-13T00:17:58+00:00March 28th, 2014|Fermented Foods, Food|0 Comments
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Of Irish Beers and Green Beers

Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle” but that is not because it is there that the green beer we traditionally have on Saint Patrick’s Day comes from. In fact, the customary practice of having green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day did not even originate from Ireland. More likely, this is a homegrown American tradition. In Ireland, the most widely-sold beer is Guinness, the popular brand name of an Irish dry stout brew. In every pub in Ireland, there are always multiple taps of Guinness. Worldwide, Guinness is also one of the most in demand brand. This brand of beer is very dark, almost black, and is known for its strong roast flavor which leaves a distinctive aftertaste. Aside from Guinness, there are other best selling brands of Irish beers like Smithwick’s, Ohara’s Celtic Stout, Porterhouse’s Oyster Stout, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Murphy’s Irish Red, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Beamish Irish Stout, and Black Rock Irish Stout. They are all excellent beers but none of them come in green. But how did this tradition of having green-colored beer on Saint Patrick’s Day really started? One account has it that the practice was first popularized by Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub in Tipperary Hill, Syracuse, New York, which has been holding an annual “Green Beer Day” to kick-off the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities in the area since the early 1960s. Another account has it that the practice originated much earlier. An article at the Ellensberg Daily Record, a circa 1914 newspaper based in Washington, said that “the Palace Cafe Saloon will feature green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.” According to the story, a certain Dr. Curtin, a coroner's physician, created the concoction by putting a drop of "wash blue" dye in an unspecified quantity of beer. Whatever the actual date of origin, the idea of having green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day caught on and became a nationwide fad. Eventually, the fad, instead of fading like most fads do, apparently took roots and evolved to become another American tradition. So how do you make green beer? It’s really easy. For a standard-sized beer mug, just put 4 to 6 drops of green liquid food coloring, then pour the beer. You could also try blue but you could end up with a bluish green beer rather than the perfect emerald green beer. For a big pitcher, use 20 to 25 drops. Enjoy as soon as done. Don’t stir as this could make the beer taste flat. If you are partial to [...]

By |2017-07-02T21:43:38+00:00March 8th, 2014|Irish Beer|0 Comments
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Saint Patrick’s Day History

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated every March 17th to commemorate the death anniversary of Saint Patrick, and more recently, to celebrate all things Irish. On that day, parades and festivals are held, people pack the pubs, and green is everywhere. As with the shamrock - the tree-leaf clover symbol of Ireland which, it is said, Saint Patrick used in his teachings about the Holy Trinity. But who is Saint Patrick? He is the patron saint of Ireland. However, he is not Irish. He was born in Rome-occupied Britain around A.D. 390 to a wealthy, landed family of prominent Christians. His father was a deacon. When he was sixteen, Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders. He was brought to Ireland where he was made to work as a slave. For more than six years, he was tasked with the duty of tending sheep in the mountainous parts of the countryside where there were no other people. While there, it is said that he heard a disembodied voice directing him to escape and telling him how. Following instructions from the voice, he walked about 200 miles to the coast where he somehow managed to get passage on a pirate ship back to Britain. Though already back in the safety of his native land, Saint Patrick did not return to the comfortable lifestyle that was his during his early years. Instead, he opted to become a priest. He trained for more than 15 years to become a missionary. Compelled by an angel that appeared to him in a vision, he decided to return to Ireland to spread Christianity. As Saint Patrick was already familiar with the language, culture and ancient customs of the Irish, he was able to use the existing beliefs and terminology of the ethnic population to illustrate and better explain the teachings of the Christian church. For instance, to make the veneration of the cross easier for them, he incorporated a sun, a powerful Druid symbol, into the traditional Christian cross to create what is now known as the Celtic cross. Saint Patrick’s second time around in Ireland was almost just as harsh as when he was first brought there as a slave by the raiders. He was incessantly harassed by the Irish royalty as well as robbed and beaten by the local thugs. Nonetheless, he persevered. For thirty years, he continued to evangelize. He baptized thousands and built churches, monasteries and schools. He died on March 17, 461 A.D., and was immediately canonized as a [...]

By |2019-03-24T22:03:49+00:00March 4th, 2014|St. Patrick's Day, Holidays|0 Comments
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