kentucky

 

Engineering students can expect to work in one of the highest paying careers for a new graduate. An affordable online engineering degree program is a way to start cashing in on the higher salary faster than if the degree was obtained through a more expensive traditional campus based university. Of the 17 engineering specialties, the five engineering degree programs that are expected to have a good outlook for employment in the future are chemical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering and industrial engineering.

Job growth for environmental engineers is expected to increase by 25% over the next decade according to the US Bureau of Labor. Increasing environmental regulations and proactive concern for the environment are influencing the expected growth in this field. The pay range for this specialty ranges from a low of $43,000 to a high of $106,000 with a median salary of $69,000. Schools such as Worcester Polytechnic Institute offer online masters of engineering programs in this field.

Industrial engineering positions are expected to increase by 20% over the next decade. Industrial engineers study the most effective way to affect production through the use of resources; people, material, and processes. Salaries range from a low of $44,000 to a high of $100,00, with the median being $68,000. Penn Foster College is an online college that offers this degree.

Civil engineering is another specialty that is expected to grow faster than average at a growth of 18% over the next decade. Civil engineers are needed to keep up with the demand of an increasing population in developing infrastructure. The salary range is a low of $44,000 to a high of $104,00, with the median being $68,000. Penn Foster College and Norwich University offer online civil engineering programs.

Chemical engineering positions are expected to grow at an average rate of 8%. Pharmaceutical companies are the most likely to need engineers. Also companies involved in biotechnology and nanotechnology. The salary range is a low of $50.000 to a high of $118,000 with the median being $78,000.

Job growth for mechanical engineers is expected to increase only 4%, but mechanical engineers will be able to enter other specialty areas because of their more broad background. Areas of nanotechnology, materials science, and biotechnology are areas where mechanical engineers can fill the bill. The salary range is a low of $45,000 to a high of $104,000 with the median being $69,000. The University of Delaware offers an online masters program in mechanical engineering.

The overall outlook for engineers of any specialty is good with an expected growth of 11%. Currently there are 1.5 million engineers working in a wide variety of specialties. Civil, mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineers hold the four top positions number of engineers employed.

Many schools such as Ashford, Drexel, University of Toledo, Polytechnic, Eastern Kentucky, Norwich, University of Delaware and Penn Foster College offer online engineering programs.

An online college and university website can provide information about the various programs, colleges and universities, costs, and financial aid. Advisors are available to answer questions, and you can send for information to read at your leisure.

Just click on the following link to get online college degree information. It’s fast, it’s free, and you’re under no obligation. You can get information about many types of online bachelors degree programs from many colleges. They also offer information about programs and schools that offer distance learning online masters degree programs.

Whether you like KFC or not, the story of Colonel Harland Sanders is truly amazing. This story is inspirational because it’s an example of how perseverance, dedication, and ambition along with hard work can create success; regardless of your age.

Humble Beginnings

Harland Sanders was born September 9, 1890 near Henryville, Indiana. His father died when he was just 6 years old, leaving him the man of the house with a mother and two younger siblings; a brother and a sister. He picked up the art of cooking very quickly and mastered many dishes by the age of 7. During his early years, Harland worked different odd jobs such as farm-hand, streetcar conductor, soldier, fireman, self-taught lawyer, insurance salesman, and steamboat operator.

Mastering Chicken

At the age of 40, he was cooking for travelers out of his service station. His cooking fame spread and soon there were huge lines for his food. Sanders then moved across the street to a motel/restaurant to service the high demand. During this time, Sanders had also been tinkering with his special herbs and spices to make the perfect fried chicken.

The Secret Ingredient

During his search to make the perfect chicken, he was approached by a pressure cooker salesman who convinced Sanders to invest in this product to quicken his cooking process. He ended up investing in 12 pressure cookers. Somewhere around this time, Sanders also ended up reaching his trademark 11 herbs and spices.

Some say that his 11th secret herb/spice was nothing more than regular sea salt. Whatever it was, it worked and sold a lot of chicken. In 1935, Sanders was made into an honorary Colonel by the governor of Kentucky for his cooking skills.

Forced Retirment

Fast forward to 1950. The Colonel is 60 years old and has to shut down his restaurant business because a new highway was being built where his restaurant was located. Colonel Sanders decided to retire and lived off of $105 in the form of social security checks. Not wanting to accept this as his fate, he decided to franchise his chicken at the age of 65.

The Comeback – Relentless Perseverance

He started travelling by car to different restaurants and cooked his fried chicken on the spot for restaurant owners. If the owner liked the chicken, they would enter into a handshake agreement to sell the Colonel’s chicken. Legend has it that Colonel Sanders heard 1009 “no’s” before he heard his first “yes”.

Ok, let me repeat that.

He was turned down one-thousand and nine times before his chicken was accepted once!

The deal was that for each piece of chicken the restaurant sold, Sanders would receive a nickel. The restaurant would receive packets of Colonel’s secret herbs and spices in order to avoid them knowing the recipe. By 1964, Colonel Sanders had 600 franchises selling his trademark chicken. At this time, he sold his company for $2 million dollars but remained as a spokesperson. In 1976, the Colonel was ranked as the world’s second most recognizable celebrity.

The Legacy

Fast forward to today. KFC is one of the largest fast food franchises in the world. Over the years, the company has been owned by RJ Reynolds (now Reynolds American; NYSE: RAI), Pepsico (NYSE: PEP), and is currently under Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM). Yum Brands family also includes Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, and A&W Restaurants. This brand is the largest restaurant operator in the world in terms of units.

It’s amazing how the man started at the age of 65, when most retire, and built a global empire out of fried chicken.

Now… I’m hungry.

Sazerac

To make a Sazerac you will need two bottom heavy, 3 ? ounce bar glasses. Fill one with cracked ice and water and allow it to chill. In the other glass place a lump of sugar along with just enough water to dampen it. The saturated lump of sugar can then be flattened and crushed with a spoon. Add a couple of drops of bitters, a dash of Angostura, a hearty shot of whiskey, for while bourbon may suffice for a julep it is not appropriate for a genuine Sazerac. In the glass containing sugar, bitters, and whiskey add quite a few lumps of ice and stir. A shaker is not necessary to make this drink.

Next empty the first glass of ice, add in several drops of absinthe, swirl the glass around a few times, and shake out the absinthe. The perfect amount will cling to the glass to give the cocktail the necessary zest. Strain into this glass the whiskey concoction, twist a rind of lemon peel over it for some extra flavor, but do not drop the rind into the drink-the lemon peel will overpower the cocktail otherwise. Some bartenders add a cherry, which makes for a nice garnish but is not absolutely necessary.

Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail

The ingredients needed for this libation are the following: 1 generous shot of bourbon whiskey, 1 shot of unsweetened pineapple juice, and 1 lump of sugar.

Begin by dissolving the sugar in the pineapple juice. Add in the bourbon, then followed by some ice cubes. Stir, then strain into a serving glass.

This cocktail can be made with whiskey, but then it would not be a true Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail, although the name might suggest something different. Some make this cocktail with orange juice instead of pineapple while some use sweetened pineapple juice. In the case of sweetened pineapple juice, the lump of sugar may not be needed.

Old Fashioned Cocktail

1 lump of sugar

2 dashes of bitters

1 large shot of whiskey

1 lemon peel

1 chunk of pineapple

1 orange peel

1 maraschino cherry

Add the sugar lump and bitters into a bottom heavy glass and muddle. Pour in the shot of whiskey and stir with several ice cubes. Do not use a shaker-allow the mixture to remain in the glass it was first mixed in. Garnish with the orange peel, chunk of pineapple, and the cherry with a dash of the maraschino juice. Twist the slice of lemon peel over everything and serve with a spoon.

Although this cocktail is indeed old fashioned it is as appealing to good taste now as it was on Derby Day a half century ago when the originator first stirred it into being at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Old Fashioned has been a New Orleans tradition for countless years and when other whiskey drinks with fancy names have come and gone, the Old Fashioned will continue to entertain experienced palates. Do not try and use gin, rum, or brandy to take the place of whiskey in an Old Fashioned. An authentic Old Fashioned demands whiskey and a sturdy bar coaster.

Blue Blazer

1 lump of sugar

1 large shot of Scotch whiskey

1 shot of hot water

Have two mugs on hand and in one, dissolve the lump of sugar in the hot water. Next add the whiskey; be sure it’s a quality brand with a high alcohol percentage, for it has to burn. Then carefully ignite the mixture. Hold the burning mug in one hand, then empty the fluid rapidly from one container to the other so that a streak of blue flame connects the two. Serve in a glass that is appropriate for hot liquid after twisting a bit of lemon peel over the mixture and topping with a grating of nutmeg. It is recommended to place the hot drink on a stone coaster of some kind to avoid damaging the surface it is resting on.

If you have cold feet, chattering teeth, the shivers, or frozen fingers, and want to warm up, you can thaw out no better than with a Blue Blazer.

This drink was a popular alcoholic drink aboard the lavish paddle-wheeled steamboats that churned the waters of the Mississippi during the time the Natchez and Robert E. Lee made history in upstream races to Saint Louis. The bartenders were expert in transferring the blue-flamed liquid from one mug to another, accomplishing the task with an agility that kept the flames from singeing their beards and moustaches before deftly placing the burning drink down on the patron’s drink coaster!