Microblog: Minnesota Companies-Schwan's

Summer = ice cream, and ice cream, for many of us, means the Schwan's truck is bringing us some cold treats.

 

Schwan's Foods is a company that began in 1952 at the Schwan family dairy, when their son took about a dozen gallons of their ice cream and delivered it to people in the area. In 1956, they expanded to a location in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The next year, they began to offer other things in addition to ice cream--juice and frozen fish. Gradually, the demand for their products grew, and they acquired brands like

• Tony's Pizza
• Freschetta Pizza
• Red Baron Pizza
• Mrs. Smith's Pies
• Pagoda Asian foods
• Edwards Desserts

Here's a video of how ice cream sandwiches are made:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+ice+cream+is+made+factory&&view=detail&mid=4E2932D6EB7B95661B6F4E2932D6EB7B95661B6F&FORM=VRDGAR

Their mainstay and biggest source of revenue is still in the home delivery of frozen foods, and they sell over 400 different products from 400 sales and distribution centers. Schwan's employs 11,000 people and their yearly profits are about $3 Billion. http://www.schwanscompany.com/

 

In 1998, they became sponsor of the USA Cup in soccer, so it is now called the Schwan's USA Cup. The Schwan Super Rink, an ice arena complex in Blaine, Minnesota, was named for the Schwan Company.   http://www.nscsports.org/page/show/1545329-schwan-super-rink

 

 

Possibilities of careers with Schwan's Foods include

• Warehouse workers
• Drivers/Delivery/Sales
• Merchandising
• Planners
• Managers
• Human Resources workers
• Marketing
• Accounting
• Recruiting

Here is their website for job-hunting:  https://www.schwansjobs.com/

Water We Doing? Reasons Not To Use Bottled Water

**This was Triogenius' very first blog entry in April 2012.
We've taken on lots of topics since then, but this one is still valid......

Do you buy water in bottles?

Why?

OK, we know we need to be drinking plenty of water every day. In fact, an adult should have between 8 and 12 cups of water every day, more if you are exercising or otherwise losing water through sweat. Drinking more water helps hydrate your joints and tissues, helps keep your skin healthy, helps flush out germs, and generally is completely fabulous, not to mention the water we use for play: Pools, Watering the lawn, decorative fountains, ice.....

But….

Did you know that lots of bottled water is nothing but tap water? Yep, it’s true. Did you know that Dasani is a Coca-Cola product and Aquafina is from Pepsi? Perrier, Poland Spring, and Deer Park bottled water are distributed by Nestle. All of them are originally from municipal water supplies—simply put, water out of a faucet. It may have been filtered or processed in some fashion, but it originally was just obtained by turning on a faucet and filling up the container. At least 25% of bottled water sold in the United States is tap water (tap water is water that comes from a faucet).

The company selling the bottled water is required to put “Municipal Water Supply” somewhere on its label, and is not allowed to use the term “All Natural” unless the water has had absolutely no processing or altering. Check out the label of the last bottle of water you bought.

For more water facts to think about, check out this National Geographic video:  http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/env-freshwater-whycare
When you pay your local ‘water bill,’ you pay for the processing of the water that comes out of your faucet: Local water purification cleans the water adds fluoridation for the health of your teeth.

Remember that lots of people in the world don't have easy access to clean water. We never give a second thought to turning on a faucet and expecting that.

It’s important, too, that we make the effort to buy less plastic bottles for any liquids: They're used to package juice, milk, soft drinks, 'power' drinks, sauces, items used in baking, and soaps, and they come in lots of different colors. Consider getting a re-usable drinking water container (preferably not made of plastic!). You could get two, one you’re using and one that’s ‘in the wash.’ Simply wash it with hot, soapy water, clean out the ‘mouthpiece part’, and let it air dry or just refill and use again. Because…think about this:

To make plastic, you need petroleum. Petroleum is the base substance that can eventually be made into fuel such as gasoline. It is a limited resource. Is it worth wasting that natural resource for our convenience? And once it’s made, a plastic water bottle tossed in the garbage will last in a landfill an estimated 450 years before it degrades, if at all. Imagine that times the millions of plastic bottles that will be tossed in the garbage today. Recycling plastic is great, but it also takes heat and (believe it or not) chemicals to be re-used in another way.

Ironic: Using plastic water bottles creates plastic pollution in our water supply. Wait, what?? 

 

A small step can make a big difference. Make the effort to stop using bottled water today!

The Wisdom of the Wizard of Oz: A Top Ten List

10.  Good manners will take you far.

When Dorothy gets dropped in Munchkinland, everything is so different--the colors, the trees, the flowers, but mostly the people. They look different, they sound different. But Dorothy speaks to them politely, like she'd talk to anyone else. She apologizes because her house fell on the witch, even though it wasn't really her fault. Is this what you would do?

And what do you think of Munchkins being small people? What does that mean?



9. There will be people who try to stand in your way. Don't let them.

Why do you suppose she's green?

 

Think of the Wicked Witch as all those people who say you can't do something. Do your best to ignore those people and move on.

8.  Be kind. It affects people more than you know.
What was the 'oil' that made the Tin Woodsman come back to life? Maybe it was actually kindness that made him able to move.

Quote from the Wizard: "As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

Tin Woodsman: "But I still want one."

 

7. Friends stick together. Friends help you keep it together. When you know you have friends in your corner, it gives you strength, maybe even courage.

When he was with his friends, the Lion dared to do lots of things. He may have whined about it, but he did them.

Maybe the lesson is this: If you have support, you can accomplish whatever you want. Appreciate your friends and support them, too.

 The Wizard: "You, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away, you have no courage. You're confusing courage with wisdom."           

6.  Everyone has a brain. It's how you use it that counts.

Maybe Scarecrow thought he didn't have a brain because no one ever told him he was smart.

Tell someone who doubts, that he is smart. Sometimes that's all a person needs. And while you're at it, remind yourself on a regular basis that you are smart, too.

Scarecrow: "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?"


5.  Be Dorothy.

This doesn't have to do with gender. Think about her role in the story.

Was she the anchor? Was she the spirit of good that prevailed? Was she trust?

Was she the calm in the storm?

And who are you in the midst of your friends or family?


4. Choose who you lead--and choose who you follow--with care.

The flying monkeys were misfits: they weren't munchkins and they weren't cute little dogs. Remember how eagerly they did whatever their leader told them to do---what good came of that? Do we ever see this in 'real' life?

Would you rather be Dorothy or the Wicked Witch? Munchkin or Flying Monkey? You can choose.

3.  People need to earn your respect.

Smoke and mirrors and a scared little man hiding behind a curtain operating a bunch of levers, the 'wizard' was nothing more. Ironically, he was wise enough, as shown by his quotes.

What makes us respect someone? Who do you respect? Why?

Maybe more importantly, why do we think we need someone else's permission to do what we want?

Dorothy had more power than The Wizard would ever have. She trusted him, but she didn't need him.

2.  Singing always helps.

But the most important lesson I think we can learn from the Wizard of Oz is this:

1.  You are intelligent and strong. You are a good person. You know yourself. Be still and listen.

Skydiving: Jumping out of a Perfectly Good Plane for Fun

Have you ever wondered what it's like to go sky-diving?

The first step is to find a place that will instruct you how to do it and take you up.

One jump will cost about $200 and another $100 if you want a video of your dive.

If you weigh less than 210 pounds dressed you can jump tandem; that's when an instructor (who may be called a Tandem Master) and you are strapped together and the instructor controls the dive and parachute.

The gear to do skydiving is quite expensive-it may cost over $5000-so unless you plan to do it regularly, it is not advised that you purchase a lot of gear.

Your most important gear, of course, is your parachute.

You also need a jumpsuit to protect you from the weather and also from anything you might land on

You need a helmet, padding, and perhaps a spine protector; the most dangerous time is the landing.

Check out this video of a man sky-diving with a 'bat suit'--that is, he had a sort of webbing that helped him soar for a long time before he opened his chute:

http://www.wimp.com/extremeskydiving/ 

If you do want to approach it as a sport, you need to complete the following:

1. Student training
2. Solo jump with a coach or instructor
3. Complete 25 dives and show your skills, and then you can jump with any other licensed diver.

 

 

 

Here's a video of some 'extreme skydiving' https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=extreme+skydiving&qpvt=extreme+skydiving&view=detail&mid=750578B0B5B18168932D750578B0B5B18168932D&FORM=VRDGAR

 

 

And what of safety, you ask?

In 2013, there were approximately 3.2 million jumps, 24 deaths, and 915 injuries. This means one in 133,333 jumps resulted in a death.




Skydiving in a kayak: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=skly+diving&&view=detail&mid=CD91EABF56EF37284BA4CD91EABF56EF37284BA4&FORM=VRDGAR

What it's like:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=what+does+it+take+to+sky+dive&&view=detail&mid=6529D746314D8DE2EAD86529D746314D8DE2EAD8&FORM=VRDGAR 

The physics of Sky Diving: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+does+it+work+sky+diving&&view=detail&mid=737E370C40A1484D4A2C737E370C40A1484D4A2C&FORM=VRDGAR                        

   This guy and his dog do absolutely EVERYTHING together.

 

Felix Baumgartner actually went into space and jumped; A special parachute took his 'space module' up, then he jumped out. His suit looks similar to an astronaut's suit:   https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=felix+baumgartner+jump+from+space&&view=detail&mid=7EAF2EB6E18C7AFAF8AF7EAF2EB6E18C7AFAF8AF&FORM=VRDGAR

                                                        

 

So, what do you think? Are you up for it? 

Flag Etiquette: Did You Know,,,,,?

Did you know this about our national flag???

• The flag should be displayed daily at public places such as schools during school days, public libraries, and government offices. It should also be present at polling places on election days.

• No flag shall fly higher than the national flag, and no flag shall fly to the right of the national flag as you look at it. Have you noticed the state and national flags at school? This is why the state flag is always lower and to the left.

• The only place our national flag is at the same level as other national flags is at the United Nations.

• When you attend a parade or other event where the flag is being carried past you, etiquette indicates you place your right hand over your heart until it passes. If you are in the military, you will salute. If you are out of uniform and carry a hat, you place the hat over your left shoulder so that your right hand is over your heart.

• When the flag is raised for the day, it should be done briskly. When lowered at the end of the day, it should be lowered 'with ceremony.'

What about the flag at half-staff? First, keep in mind the terms "half-staff" and "half-mast" are actually the same, however, to be correct, a 'mast' is only present on a ship, so "half-staff" is more correct for any flag flying on land (on a pole, which can be called a staff).

• The President or Governor of a state can proclaim a flag should be flown at half-staff in honor of a person who has served his or her country and has passed away (it does not have to be a person who served in the military). No one else is allowed to make that decision.

• The etiquette for having the flag at half-staff is to raise it initially all the way to the top of the staff, then lower it slowly to half staff and leave it that way for the day. At the end of the day when taking the flag down, the flag is to be raised back up to the top of the staff and then lowered completely to be taken down.

• The flag is to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day until noon only.

• The flag should not be left on display after dark unless properly lit so you can still see it.

• To properly fold a flag, it is first held by a person at either short end. The flag is folded into thirds, one side in and then the other side over it. One person then grasps the flag at the corner and folds it into triangles. After the last triangle, the ends are tucked neatly inside.

• When placed on a casket, the flag's stars should lie on the person's left shoulder.

• Nothing should ever be pinned to the flag, and it should not be used as cloth to make anything. The flag should never touch the ground or any other surface below it. An old flag that is ragged should be 'retired' by giving it to a local VFW for them to dispose of.

Flag rules established by the 94th Congress, 1975-1977 (during our nation's Bicentennial).  For even more flag etiquette, visit: heritage-flag.com .

Happy 4th of July! Fly the Flag..........and be safe!!