Thursday, February 22, 2018

True Sportsmanship, Part 2


With the Olympics going on in South Korea, it is a good time to share some stories of true sportsmanship from Olympics past. Here is an example…

At the 1936 Berlin Games, Japanese pole vaulters Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Ōe tied for second place. The teammates were offered the opportunity to have a jump-off for the silver medal, but the two friends declined out of mutual respect for one another. For the purposes of Olympic records, Ōe agreed to the bronze while Nishida took the silver. Upon their return to Japan, the teammates came up with a different solution. The pair had a jeweler cut their medals in half and fuse them back together, creating half-silver, half-bronze pendants. The "Medals of Friendship," as they're now known in Japan, are enduring symbols of friendship and teamwork.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

True Sportsmanship, Part 1


With the Olympics going on in South Korea, it is a good time to share some stories of true sportsmanship from Olympics past. Here is an example…

At the 1988 Games in Seoul, Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux was moving along at a quick clip, even though the seas were exceptionally rough. About halfway through the race, he seemed to have a firm grip on the silver medal when disaster struck. Lemieux heard the cries of two Singaporean sailors competing in a different event nearby. One of them was clinging desperately to his boat, which had capsized under the six-foot waves. The other had drifted 50 feet away, swept off by the currents. Instead of staying in his race, Lemieux set course for the sailors and pulled them out of the water. His hope for a medal all but dashed, Lemieux waited for rescue boats to arrive. By the time they did, he'd fallen to 23rd place. But Lemieux's bravery did not go unrewarded. The Olympic committee gave him the Pierre de Coubertin medal, a special award for sportsmanship.

Birthday Traditions From Around The World


Do you and your family have a special tradition for celebrating birthdays? Here are some celebrations from around the globe.

A flour-covered Caribbean
In many regions of the Caribbean, most commonly Jamaica, an individual of any age can expect to have their birthday celebrated by having huge amounts of flour thrown at them by friends and family. What’s worse is that the really unlucky ones will be covered in water first, making it extremely difficult to remove the flour!

Being pulled in Hungary
Just as the Brits celebrate a birthday with the Birthday Bumps, the Hungarians will wish an individual good luck and a happy birthday by pulling on their earlobes. This tradition will normally take place just before the opening of any birthday presents, while a song is sang that translates to “God bless you live so long so your ears reach your ankles”.

Singletons in Germany
There is a longstanding tradition in Germany whereby single men turning 30 are required to go out and sweep the steps of the local church or town hall. This is supposed to give them the chance to show off how good they are at cleaning, and let’s face it, what woman could resist? For young children in Germany, they are officially exempt from doing their homework and chores for the day.

A greasy nose in Canada
A very famous tradition in Canada is the practise of nose-greasing. This is where a young boy or girl is pinned to the floor while their nose gets smeared with butter. The reason for this is to ensure the individual is far too slippery for bad luck or negativity to get a hold of them in the next year.

Caked in Venezuela
For those celebrating a birthday in Venezuela it’s probably best not to bother with make up as you’re most likely to have your head pushed into the birthday cake!
Believe it or not, this gesture is one of laughter, luck for the year ahead and love.
Needless to say there is a skill involved in ensuring the candles have been blown out properly.

Clowns in Switzerland
Perhaps one of the strangest traditions, parents in Switzerland will hire an evil clown for their child’s birthday. The clown won’t only look terrifying but will also follow and torment the birthday girl or boy before putting a pie in their face for good luck!

Cakeman in Denmark
Rather than a standard birthday cake, Danish children will enjoy a “cakeman” which really does resemble the patient from the “Operation” game, only with icing. Once the songs are sung and the candles have been blown out, the cakeman is decapitated and the head is presented to the birthday boy or girl. The family and friends then dig into the body.

Toast in New Zealand
Those from New Zealand will enjoy a unique treat on their birthday, involving ice cream and sprinkles on toast. Yes, on toast.

Career choices in China
When a child is born in China they are considered a year old, meaning their first birthday is actually their second birthday. On this day the child will be placed on the floor surrounded by objects, the first object the child picks up is thought to determine what they will be when they grow up. Meanwhile, during other birthday celebrations a cake is skipped entirely and instead the child will be given a bowl full of noodles which they must put into their mouth until they can’t fit anymore in.

Flowers in Egypt
Egyptian birthday parties are full of dancing and singing traditional songs. The room will also be full of flowers and fruit to symbolise growth and life.

Prizes in Russia
Instead of a birthday cake, Russian children will enjoy a birthday pie with a greeting carved into the crust. They will then play a game that features the use of a clothes line and hang prizes from it so each guest can take a present home.

Crowns in Israel
Young children in Israel will be given a crown to wear that re made from leaves and flowers on their birthday. They will then be asked to sit in a special chair that’s been decorated for them while their family and friends dance around it.

Shaving head in India
On the child’s first birthday, his or her head is shaved while the baby is held over a special fire, this is to symbolise cleansing of evil and renewal of the soul.


Now that you know some of the weirdest birthday traditions in the world, what will you be doing for your friends or relatives’?


Thursday, January 25, 2018

A little info for ya Al Grebenick did not graduate from High School and went on to be one of the greats of Polka Music..

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Fruit Alphabet

Can you name a fruit for every letter of the alphabet? Here are some examples:

A: Apples, Apricots, Avocados

B: Bananas, Boysenberries, Blueberries, Bing Cherry

C: Cherries, Cantaloupe, Crab apples, Clementine, Cucumbers

D: Damson plum, Dinosaur Eggs (Pluots), Dates, Dewberries, Dragon Fruit

E: Elderberry, Eggfruit, Evergreen Huckleberry, Entawak

F: Fig, Farkleberry, Finger Lime

G: Grapefruit, Grapes, Gooseberries, Guava

H: Honeydew melon, Hackberry, Honeycrisp Apples

I: Indian Prune (Plum), Indonesian Lime, Imbe, Indian Fig

J: Jackfruit, Java Apple, Jambolan

K: Kiwi, Kaffir Lime, Kumquat

L: Lime (Lemon), Longan, Lychee, Loquat

M: Mango, Mandarin Orange, Mulberry, Melon

N: Nectarine, Navel Orange, Nashi Pear (Asian Pear)

O: Olive, Oranges, Ogeechee Limes, Oval Kumquat

P: Papaya, Persimmon, Paw Paw, Prickly Pear, Peach, Pomegranate, Pineapple

Q: Quince, Queen Anne Cherry, Quararibea cordata (Chupa Chupa)

R: Rambutan, Raspberries, Rose Hips

S: Star Fruit, Strawberries, Sugar Baby Watermelon

T: Tomato, Tangerine, Tamarind, Tart Cherries

U: Ugli Fruit, Uniq Fruit, Ugni

V: Vanilla Bean, Velvet Pink Banana, Voavanga

W: Watermelon, Wolfberry, White Mulberry

X: Xigua (Chinese Watermelon), Ximenia caffra fruit, Xango Mangosteen Fruit Juice

Y: Yellow Passion Fruit, Yunnan Hackberry, Yangmei

Z: Zig Zag Vine fruit, Zinfandel Grapes, Zuchinni (a fruit, like tomatoes)


Now that you have the list, let it inspire you to try adding some new fruits to your diet, or revisit old favorites!

Chicken Taco Soup

Do you love tacos? How about the convenience of slow cooker meals? Try this slow cooker chicken taco soup recipe!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (12 ounce) can or bottle of beer

2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 package taco seasoning

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Crushed tortilla chips


Put the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the mix and press down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover and cook for 5 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup, shred and stir back into the soup. Continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. Makes 8 servings.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Winter Car Kit

Everyone should carry a Winter Survival Kit in their car. In an emergency, it could save your life and the lives of your passengers. Here is what you need:

  • A shovel
  • A windshield scraper and small broom
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Battery powered radio
  • Water
  • Snack food including energy bars, dried fruit, raisins and candy bars
  • Matches and small candles
  • Extra hats, socks and mittens
  • First aid kit with a pocket knife
  • Necessary medications
  • Blankets or sleeping bag
  • Tow chain or rope
  • Road salt, sand, or cat litter for traction
  • Booster cables
  • Emergency flares and reflectors
  • Fluorescent distress flag and whistle to attract attention
  • Cell phone adapter to plug into lighter

Make sure that you are prepared in case of emergency!  - Riley

Thursday, January 4, 2018

2018 Grammy Flyaway


So, have you been listening for the 2018 Grammy Flyaway keywords and texting them to 67760? If so, you are in the running to win a pair of tickets to the Grammy Awards in New York City on January 28th! Here are some of the people you could see and rub shoulders with:

 

James Corden of the Late, Late Show will host

Jay-Z and Beyonce

Lorde

Bruno Mars

Justin Bieber

Selena Gomez

Alessia Cara

Taylor Swift

Madonna

Katy Perry

Kelly Clarkson

Lady Gaga

Ed Sheeran

Kesha

Pink

Coldplay

Imagine Dragons

The Chainsmokers

Portugal. The Man

Michael Buble

Seth MacFarlane

Sarah McLachlan

Rihanna

Kenny Chesney

Little Big Town

Lady Antebellum

Thomas Rhett

Christ Stapleton

Sam Hunt

Miranda Lambert…

 

…and seriously, that is just a partial list! So listen to KLIR at 9:00 am, noon and 3:00 pm each weekday for the keywords and text them to 67760! You, too, might be under the bright lights at the 2018 Grammy Awards!

 

Emojis!



Do you use emojis? I would guess so. Don’t we all? So what are the most popular emojis? According to Apple, the most used emojis in 2017 were:


1.     Laughing Face with Tears

2.     Red Heart

3.     Sobbing Face

4.     Heart Eyes

5.     Kissing Face

6.     Rolling Eyes

7.     Skull

8.     Blushing Face

9.     Weary Face

10.  Thinking Man
 
 
So which one of these is your favorite? By the way, history always comes full
circle. Our emojis today are the equivalent of hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt!  -
Riley
 

 

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Concerts and more...

Here are some events coming to a venue near you in the next couple of months!

 

Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln)

The Harlem Globetrotters – February 2

WWE Live! Road To Wrestlemania – February 3

Pink! Beautiful Trauma World Tour – March 6

Lorde – March 24

Monster Jam Triple Threat Series – April 13-14

Brad Paisley – April 26

 

Mid America Center (Council Bluffs)

The Great Train Show – January 6-7

River City Hunting, Fishing, Boat & RV Expo – January 19-21

Spring Into Spring Home Improvement & Landscaping Show – February 23-25

Winter Jam – March 15

Bret Michaels in Concert – March 31

U.S. Open Robotic Championship – April 2-7

Midwest 8-ball Championship – April 18-22

 

Centurylink Center (Omaha)

2018 Nebraska Agri-business Expo – January 9-10

Bridal Fair 2018 – January 14

Midlands International Auto Show – January 19-21

WWE Live! Road to Wrestlemania – February 4

Omaha Home & Garden Expo – February 6-11

2018 Boat, Sports & Travel Show – February 22-25

Triumph of Ag Expo – February 28-March 1

Adrenaline Dance – March 2-4

Miranda Lambert Livin’ Like Hippies Tour – March 8

Omaha Bridal Showcase 2018 – March 11

63rd Annual O’Reilly World of Wheels – March 16-18

Kid Rock Greatest Show on Earth Tour – March 17

The Harlem Globetrotters – April 6

Omaha Home Show – April 6-8

Jeff Dunham: Passively Aggressive – April 7

Dinosaur Time Trek: Shark Edition – April 21-22

Volunteerism

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to volunteer more in your community? Maybe you’re not sure where or how to start. A really great resource is the Columbus United Way website. Their Volunteer Connection will help you discover what your passion is, and match you to organizations and events that will give you that wonderful sense of giving. There are opportunities for everyone, from teenagers to seniors, singles to families and groups. You can volunteer on a schedule, or help with a one time event. Do you like working with people? Animals? Computers? There is something for you. Are you good at organizing? Maybe serving on a non-profit board of directors is your perfect fit. Whatever it may be, there are opportunities to serve your neighbors and community through volunteering. To get started, contact Denise Kollath at dkollath@columbusunitedway.com.  - Riley

True Sportsmanship, Part 2

With the Olympics going on in South Korea , it is a good time to share some stories of true sportsmanship from Olympics past. Here is an e...