American Heirlooms - March 2022

American Heirlooms - March 2022

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MARCH 2022

Exploring Weather Patterns for Spring and Beyond

Last month, I discussed explanations for daylight fluctuations and the odd correlations this has with the seasons. I learned the Earth’s tilt contributes to the range of seasons that differs for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and those in the Southern Hemisphere. This month, we will reach another interesting phenomenon. On March 20, the first day of spring, we will experience equal daylight and night (roughly). This is called an equinox, and its explanation ties into why seasons exist. Without the tilt, the sun would shine directly onto the equator all year round. If that were to happen, we wouldn’t experience different seasons! Similarly, we have equal parts daylight and nighttime in fall and spring because the angle of the earth’s tilt and its rotation around the sun place the sun directly over the equator during these seasons. (This also creates mild spring and fall weather — typically.) The opposite happens during solstices. These occur when we experience either the longest amount of daylight measured all year (in June, as summer starts) and the shortest amount of daylight all year (in December, when winter starts). During the summer solstice for us Northern Hemisphere inhabitants, the tilt of the Earth positions our hemisphere closer to the sun than those in the Southern Hemisphere. As such, the angle of the Earth provides more daylight than in the winter. Thus, we have longer days and shorter nights. The opposite occurs in winter. This can help explain weather differences between the seasons. Yet, there’s another factor that can affect temperatures and weather patterns: jet streams. These are bands of strong winds that separate hot and cold air and are produced by the Earth’s rotation. (This is not the rotation around the sun, but rather, the daily rotation that produces days and nights.) There are three versions in each hemisphere. The polar air streams can be found near the poles, the tropical air stream is near the equator, and the temperate streams are between the two.

This air moves from west to east, but southward plunges and northward bulges are what typically drive storms. This is why storms and weather activity traditionally sweep from west to east. Other major storm systems, such as blizzards or hurricanes, occur when the jet stream, effected by one of these plunges or bulges, moves east to west, creating a cyclone motion. Since jet streams act as a border between hot and cold air, they are influenced by the changing of the seasons. They are most active in winter when the temperatures between arctic and tropic jet streams are much more extreme. Jet streams move quickly when air temperature has a wide fluctuation. As you can see, our Creator is responsible for complex systems that produce weather. Earth, and the solar system it resides in, is a divine, complicated creation by God. We will never know all of the answers as to how it works, but the investigation offers some thoughts. In the final installment on this series next month. I’m examining how we measure time. –Ethan Zimmerman

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Everyone has heard the phrase “death by chocolate” — especially applied to a restaurant's seven-tiered chocolate cake. But there’s at least one person in history who took the saying seriously: Adolf Hitler. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Hitler and his German forces once plotted to assassinate British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with … an exploding chocolate bar. The plan was to cover a small bomb with dark chocolate, wrap it in black and gold paper, and slip it into a snack basket in the British War Cabinet’s dining room. When the prime minister unwrapped the bar, he’d have just seven seconds to react before the “treat” detonated and potentially turned the tide of World War II.

Fortunately, the British intelligence agency MI5 caught wind of the German plot and put a stop to it. More than 60 years later, the rest of the world found out about the exploding chocolate when a letter detailing the plot went public. It was sent on May 4, 1943, by MI5 intelligence chiefs Lord Victor Rothschild to the illustrator Laurence Fish. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the letter read:

piece of chocolate at one end in the normal way, instead of it falling away, a piece of canvas is revealed stuck into the middle of the piece which has been broken off and a ticking into the middle of the remainder of the slab. As wacky as this assassination plot sounds, it’s far from history’s strangest. Dozens of attempts were made to do away with the former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Those instruments included a poisoned cigar, explosive seashell, and fungus-laced diving suit. According to CNN, Castro’s former security service chief estimated he’d foiled no fewer than 634 assassination plots against the dictator. That makes exploding chocolate look quaint!

Dear Fish,

I wonder if you could do a drawing for me of an explosive slab of chocolate. We have received information that the enemy are using pound slabs of chocolate which are made of steel with a very thin covering of real chocolate. Inside there is high explosive and some form of delay mechanism … When you break off a

We often hear we are living in “unprecedented times.” Many believe the trials we are experiencing have never occurred, nor have events ever been this severe.

War I begins and ends when you’re 18 years old with 22 million dead. Shortly after, a global pandemic called “Spanish flu” kills 50 million people. You come out alive and free at 20 years old. Then, at 29, you survive the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment, and hunger. At 33 years old, the Nazis come to power. You turn 39 when World War II and the Holocaust start, and it ends when you’re 45. There will be over 60 million deaths in total, and 6 million Jews were murdered. When you’re 52, the Korean War begins, and at age 64, the Vietnam

War begins. The latter will last for more than 10 years.

A boy born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they have survived several wars and disasters. A boy born in 1995 — who is now 27 years old — thinks it’s the end of the world when his Amazon package takes more than three days to arrive or when he doesn’t get more than 15 likes on Facebook or Instagram. In 2022, many of us live comfortably, have access to different sources of entertainment, and often have more than we need. None of this existed before, but we have survived far more disastrous circumstances and never lost the joy of living.

How soon we forget history.

The following passage is from Capitalist Exploits’ Jan. 14 “Our World This Week” email message, and it details a little perspective for these “unprecedented times.” As the passage’s unknown author states, the issues we face today are no more insurmountable than those more than a century ago. In fact, it may have been far more “unprecedented.”

Imagine you were born in 1900. When you’re 14 years old, World

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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Whether you top it off in a sundae or enjoy unique spins on classic flavors, ice cream is a staple of warmer weather and a simple way to cap off a nice meal. It has been that way for centuries, too. Variations of ice cream have been found throughout history, and Americans have enjoyed this tasty treat since 1744. However, for generations, we have been fooled as to the proper way to store ice cream. Like most other food groups, we store ice cream with the top up, so as to not spill it. But experts say this is wrong, and it could be ruining your ice cream. Ben & Jerry’s — one of the most well-known ice cream purveyors — recommends storing your ice cream top down , so as to avoid freezer burn. The way this works is that any melted portions of the ice cream will drip onto the lid, while the still frozen parts of the ice cream will remain in place. This allows the crystallization of ice from the freezer to form away from your ice cream — and onto the melted parts that dripped on the lid — protecting the majority of your frozen treat from freezer burn.

You can protect your ice cream in other ways, too. For instance, store your ice cream in the back of the freezer and not along the door. This way, as you open the freezer, the ice cream won’t experience waves of heat. Additionally, make sure your freezer is set to below-zero temperatures. This will also ensure the dairy treat isn’t impacted by “warm” spots. And when it comes to eating ice cream … there are no rules! Enjoy this delicious dessert however you would like to and eat as much as you see fit. And you won’t have to worry about freezer burn if you just eat the whole pint.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS • 4 cups torn romaine lettuce

• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

By Heather & Megan

• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup creamy Caesar dressing, or to taste

• 1 handful premade Caesar croutons

DIRECTIONS 1. Toss together and serve immediately.

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Brought to you by KCS Quality Kitchens and Furniture 291 Blackiston Rd. • Clayton, DE 19938 Phone: (302) 653-2411 • Email: [email protected] The Swiss Craftsman

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Inside this Issue

Let’s Explore Weather Patterns Page 1

The Failed Chocolate Assassination

A Passage for Perspective Page 2

The Best Way to Store Ice Cream? Upside Down!

Homemade Caesar Salad Page 3

5 Hacks to Add More Value to a Penny Page 4

5 HACKS TO TRY

TIRE TREAD CHECKERS This one is a well-known trick, but pennies can be used to determine when it’s time to invest in new tires. If you insert a penny into your tire’s tread with Lincoln’s head pointing down and you’re able to see all of his head, your tread is worn and you need new tires. P.S. It’s worth mentioning that pennies minted prior to 1982 are more valuable because they are much richer in copper, so don’t go tossing those in your garden or stowing them away in your curtains! While many of us may think little about finding pennies, it turns out these small copper coins have more value than just simple currency.

When many of us find a wayward penny on the ground or sidewalk, we may chuckle at this serendipitous event, pocket the change, and go about our day. However, it may behoove us to think a little bit more about these shiny Lincoln heads. In fact, pennies can serve other surprising purposes to help simplify your life. SLUG REPELLENT Many gardeners surround their plants and crops with pennies in the soil. When slugs try to terrorize your garden, they’ll come into contact with the copper and zinc composition of the pennies and get a little electric shock. It’s a slug repellent alternative! PENNY RULER Pennies are exactly .75 inches in diameter. Thus, when you line up 16

pennies in a row, you have exactly a foot! It may seem like a lot of work, but in a pinch, if you really need to measure something, it’s certainly helpful. PENNY SCREWDRIVERS Have you ever been in a situation where you needed a screwdriver and didn’t have one handy? Well, if you had a penny in your pocket, you may still be able to drive a screw! If you insert the edge of a penny at a 15- or 20-degree angle, you should be able to loosen or tighten it.

DEWRINKLERS Wrinkly curtains are no match for

pennies! When you take your crisp new curtains out of the packaging and hang them up, insert pennies into the bottom hem. This will help to weigh down your curtains enough to combat any wrinkles.

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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