Archive for category: Friday Afternoon

The other day I was plugging my cellphone in to recharge it and noticed the USB icon on the wall end – it’s sort of a pitchfork thing, with arrows and circles and lines. I wondered why it was designed like that, and who came up with it. The more I looked around, the more I noticed different icons, especially on my keyboard. Big picture – as our modern technology has progressed from vacuum-tube computers that fill entire rooms to super-fast smartphones, the computer industry simultaneously developed a whole bunch of iconographic symbols. Of course, some of the old classics are our favorites (@%$!) – as we use them in our promise to you… We Love Your PIA (@%$) Jobs! Today, digital-age hieroglyphics are on computers, laptops, gaming consoles, smartwatches, and cell phones – but have you ever wondered where they came from? (ok, I do…). Here are the stories behind popular electronic icons and symbols you probably see every day, but never really think about. For those who know me, I have been known to ask, “What’s that?” a lot,  then proceed to push a button or click an Icon. Enjoy!

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Recently, Jackie and I were experimenting with some new recipes and came across a fun dish that included rice. I love rice, especially when I get fresh Chinese food at my local Chinese restaurant – I love chicken fried rice! When it’s made right, it’s fluffy and tasty, and great at sopping up all the goodness in the dish. Granted, I also love sushi rice in a fresh roll or Basmati rice with my tikka masala!  Rice is so common that it’s easy to overlook just how remarkable it is. I did some digging and found that behind a simple bowl of white or brown grains is a crop that’s helped build civilizations, shaped where people lived, and still feeds more than half the planet every day (that’s over 4 BILLION!!) From the early ancient-flooded paddies to today’s AI-guided farming, rice has one of the longest and most fascinating stories in agriculture. Here’s some info I hope you’ll find fascinating (and a bit mind-blowing), along with a quick and easy recipe at the end. Enjoy!!

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When my girls were little (and now as I watch my grandchildren curl up in front of the TV), few shows have shaped their early learning quite like Sesame Street. They learned their letters and numbers there, sure. But they also absorbed something quieter and deeper: kindness, patience, cooperation, belonging, friendship, and so much more. Without realizing it very much, I read an article about how the early show designers created a magical space, introduced kids to something else just as powerful—the idea of a neighborhood where people look out for one another. For more than half a century, millions of children have learned their ABCs and 123s from this iconic show. But as it turns out, the most enduring lesson may not only be academic at all – but it may also be about community, city life, and what makes a great place to live. Jackie and I are so blessed to live in a small city – easy commutes, friendly, caring neighbors, convenient retail, and the peace of mind that comes with it. It should constantly remind all of us to strive to be a little bit nicer! Here is some cool “Sesame Street” trivia. And as the theme music tells us … “Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away …”  (it’s ok, you can sing it out loud!!) Enjoy!!

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The other day, I was reading an article about the decline (yet again) in national math scores, and how “children today” are not properly prepared for college courses. I think we can all agree it’s a shame and something that needs attention. It made me think about my own studying for tests as a kid, the pressures of test days, and how my parents would work with each of us (we had 18 in the family!!) to learn our words and vowels and “rithmatic”. I always loved getting a perfect score, especially on the “words” tests – my teacher used to add stars and happy faces to the paper, and Mom would hang them on the fridge – truly a place of honor. Jackie and I continued that tradition with our girls, full disclosure, though, Jackie was/is a much, much, much better student and teacher than I!! Things today are quite different on the test-taking side – more verbal, laptops and iPads, group problem solving, participation awards (ARRGGHH), and more – all to teach the young ones how to think and recall core concepts. I came across an article I wanted to share – a New Common School Question Book test from the late 1800’s. I’ll admit, it’s hard! It’s a fun read and a good test of your knowledge.  Good luck and enjoy!

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Here at KHT, we operate around a driving principle – namely an obsession to tackle and solve your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! As I was typing this in an email to a potential customer, it struck me that we’ve used the “@” symbol in our promise for decades, to help us communicate not just what many of our customers feel (more fun than aaarrrggghhh!) but also what makes us tick as a thermal processing service provider to so many industries (thanks Dad for supporting me as we pursued this!!). Being the curious type, I jumped onto the internet and found a whole bunch of fun info on early text symbols, and fun  🙂  symbols called emoticons. Teaser – the @ symbol was invented more than 400 years before email! Here’s some really great info about text symbols, along with some of my favorite emoticons. I wasn’t able to find an emoticon that reflects my kids rolling their eyes! Enjoy! – or should I say { ^.^ } 

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