★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
June 18, 2013

The Double rainbow, that appeared over Lake Michigan and the Chicago downtown on Tuesday evening (June 17) was a magical and beautiful event.

★~ Today’s Quote: Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.  ~Author Unknown

★~ Gone Fishin’ Day: (the date seems to vary) 

Did you know that more Americans fish than play golf and tennis combined?  There are approximately 60 million anglers in America.

~ If fishing were a company, fishing-related retail sales would rank No. 51 on the Fortune 500 list.

~ In 2011, twice the number of people fished than attended every NFL game combined!

~ The number of people who fish has grown by 11 percent since 2006.

~ El Morno friend Beth writes about Fly Fishin’ for the first time. Trout Don’t Live in Ugly Places 

★~ International Panic Day:

International Panic Day, a celebration of all things anxiety, aims to create greater awareness of the unexpected and episodic freak-outs so many of us experience during our lives. However before you kick your heels up on the shrink’s couch or pop a Xanax, Good to know offers  five ways to keep your cool.

★~ International Picnic Day:

Let’s picnic in Paris! Fountains, sculptures, two museums (the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l’Orangerie—which houses famed water lily paintings by Monet) and countless comfortable chairs makes Jardin des Tuileries on the perimeter of the Musée du Louvre a perfect picnic spot. With the Seine on one side and Rue de Rivoli on the other, the park is a well-placed rest stop. I will swing  by patisserie Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) to pick up a Mont Blanc cake, you grab us two chairs… The Eiffel Tower can wait.

★~ International Sushi Day:

If you’re a seafood a-fish-ionado that enjoys Sushi, (which, technically, doesn’t have anything to do with raw fish — sushi refers to the vinegar-seasoned riced used as the base for anything from raw fish to raw meat) you’ll want to know which tuna is the most eco-friendly to eat and if farm-raised salmon is better than wild-caught salmon.

Choosing the right kind of fish, involves selecting between sustainable fishing techniques and less ecologically friendly ones. According to U.S. News and World Report, there are two branches of sustainable fishing methods: Wild fishing techniques that don’t overly deplete the ocean’s targeted fish stock, and aquaculture practices that don’t pollute the environment or contaminate wild fish populations by allowing farmed fish to escape. In some cases, open ocean fishing is best. In others, fish farming is better. It really depends on the fish.

Luckily for fish lovers, the Environmental Defense Fund, or EDF, a U.S.-based environmental advocacy group that works on issues like ecosystem restoration and global climate change, has done the grunt work of figuring out the most eco-friendly fish species for us.

Here are five fish to ask for on International Sushi Day. Stick to these tips, and you’ll find navigating the dire straits of seafood sustainability.

Of all the tunas, U.S. albacore and yellowfin are best. Unlike Bluefin tuna, which grow slowly, U.S. albacore and yellowfin mature quickly and reproduce often, making them more resilient to fishing pressure. Yellowfin, also called ahi, while not threatened, does have one of the higher mercury contents of wild fish. It should be eaten in moderation.

Ask for wild Alaskan salmon, not farmed salmon. Wild Alaskan salmon is low in mercury and high in Omega-3s. It is also the most sustainable salmon. According to the EDF, wild salmon from Alaska come from fisheries that are well-managed and are low in contaminants. Salmon farming, on the other hand, has numerous detrimental effects on the environment, including water pollution, parasites and disease.

Always choose American shrimp. Almost 90 percent of all shrimp consumed in the U.S. comes from Southeast Asia and Latin America, where shrimp populations are not protected by environmental regulations. Northern shrimp and U.S. wild shrimp, like the pink shrimp from Oregon and the spot prawn from Canada, are your best bets.

Just for the halibut. When it comes to halibut, Pacific halibut is best. They come from well-kept fisheries and have low rates of bycatch. California halibut is OK, but halibut from Alaska and Canada is better.

★~ Today in History

♥~ 1621 – The first duel in America reportedly took place in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The duel, fought with swords, was between Edward Doty and Edward Leister. The duelers managed to wound each other, but neither died.

♥~ 1968 – The bubblegum group Ohio Express was awarded a gold record for their single Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.

♥~ 1983 – Dr. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, beginning her ride aboard the space shuttle Challenger for a six-day Odyssey.

♥~ Pioneering Women:  She was arrested for voting in a presidential election. A century later, she received an honor usually reserved for presidents: getting her face on a U.S. coin. Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for illegally voting. The fine was imposed on June 18th, 1873. On this date in 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic. Earhart wasn’t the pilot, but was a passenger. Exactly 55 years later, on June 18th, 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, aboard the shuttle Challenger. And on June 18th, 2006, Katharine Schori was elected as the first female bishop to preside over the Episcopal Church in the U.S.

★~Born Today:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/nkhTA6MQ3BQ[/youtube]

♥~ 1942 – (James) Paul McCartney Grammy Award-winning [1990] musician, songwriter, singer: group: The Beatles: 49 hits: She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band; group: Wings: 35 hits: Another Day, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, My Love, Live and Let Die, Band on the Run, Listen to What the Man Said, Silly Love Songs, Let ’Em In, Ebony & Ivory [w/Stevie Wonder], The Girl is Mine [w/Michael Jackson]; actor:Yellow Submarine, A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Let It Be, Magical Mystery Tour, Give My Regards to Broad Street; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [3-15-1999]

♥~ 1942 – Roger Ebert film critic: of Siskel and Ebert fame

♥~ 1952 – Isabella Rossellini model: over 500 covers; actress: Twin Peaks, Fearless, Blue Velvet, Crime of the Century, The Impostors

★~ Good to Know: 

♥~ Breathe! Many panic attacks involve a feeling of tightness in the chest or constriction in the throat, which can cause hyperventilation. By slowing down the breath while lengthening your exhales, you can quiet down the body’s nervous system pretty quickly. Just five to ten breaths can make all the difference. Try closing your eyes as you breathe deeply (this especially comes in handy if your panic has been caused by the charging grizzly bear that’s about rip your face off).

♥~ Ride the Waves: A panic attack may last one minute or one hour, but in either case that mighty unpleasant feeling is going to pass. If you can recognize those freaky sensations as more of a wave that will eventually crash to the shore, you can become the surfer that Sean Penn’s character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High only dreamed of. It might take a little bit of practice, but identifying the panic (and the thoughts that ignite it) will keep you feeling far more in control when it surges through you. Learn to ride it out rather than wiping out.

♥~ I’ll take decaf, please: Caffeine might be a great idea if you’re having a rough morning, but the stimulant can shake you up rather than wake you up. Those who are already prone to jitters and anxiety might find that coffee can actually contribute to a panic episode. And if you’re trapped on a crowded subway that has mysteriously stopped in the tunnel for more than three minutes, that venti Blonde Roast could spell trouble. While it might be unrealistic to completely cut out coffee from your sleep-deprived existence, dialing it back might help prevent attacks.

♥~ It’s a stretch; Much like breathing slowly can relax the muscles and mind, so can stretching. Yoga, anyone? Physical tension is a common symptom for sufferers of panic and anxiety, and opening the body with some stretching can help to relieve stress. Chances are, you won’t be experiencing your panic attack on the comfort and convenience of your own yoga mat, but should you feel one creeping up, roll the shoulders and neck and twist the torso a bit. Think of these movements like a refreshing splash of cool water on your face. i

♥~ Drink up: The magical beverage that is perfect for celebrating International Panic Day? Water. Boring, lame H2O.When we have water efficiently coursing though our systems, bio-chemicals, hormones, and nutrients are delivered properly in the body, reducing the risk of panic. Cheers, my dears!

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Speaking of calming down, if you have a pup that gets the shakes at the first rumble of thunder, the first bang of a fire cracker or has anxiety in general, do I have a product for you! Vickie, our friend and camp helper, found an all natural product that reduces anxiety in pets. Rascal and Lada are both undone by thunder storms and Pet Calm has helped them through our last few storms. It doesn’t eliminate all the shakes but it visibly relaxes them. Our neighborhood, turns into a war zone over the 4th of July, so I’m ordering it by the case! I’m sure by the end of the night on the 4th, I’ll be able to tell you how it works on humans too! Below is my Affiliate Amazon link. When you buy Pet Calm using this link; you’ve also bought my campers 1/2 a dog biscuit :-D.If your local pet store has this product please support them.

Dog Supplies Richards Organics Pet Calm 2 Oz

Do you like Sushi or look at it and think colorful bait!  I like my seafood cooked. Cole on the other hand can gobble down Sushi faster than they can make it. He use to ask me to buy it for his school lunch, which I thought was very Odd but occasionally would indulge him. It’s a lot more expensive than peanut butter and jelly!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Odd Loves Company!