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KEYSTROKE MONTHLY THE
APRIL 2021 GREEN GRASS, BASEBALL SEASON, AND HORSE RACES Why April Is My Favorite Month to Live in Kentucky
Wow, April is here and it’s a beautiful time in Kentucky! That’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite month of the year. The grass and the trees are a vibrant green, and all the plants and trees are blooming. However, the natural beauty Kentucky enjoys every April isn’t the only reason I like this time of year best. There are plenty of other reasons that make me love April. First, April is the start of baseball season. Whether you’re an MLB fan, a college baseball fan, a softball fan, or some combination of all three, it’s a very exciting time of year! Since Kentucky doesn’t have an MLB baseball team, I, like many Kentuckians, am a Cincinnati Reds fan. Their stadium is just right across the river from our state, so it’s easy to catch a game every once in a while and adopt them as my home team. Second, April is a great time to enjoy the horse races and the beauty at Keeneland race track. In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful tracks in the country. Unlike many other race tracks, which are owned by corporations, Keeneland is run by a nonprofit organization, which means they put a large amount of money into maintaining the facilities themselves. Keeneland is only open for races for a total of six weeks of the year: three weeks in April, and three weeks again in October. Even though I’m not a big gambler, I love watching horse races, especially since some of the horses that race at Keeneland may go on to race at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby! Even if you’re not a fan of the races themselves, you can still appreciate the beauty of the 50 miles or so of horse farms around Lexington. You can also appreciate the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, which operates as a working horse farm, theme park, museum, and competition venue. As great as April is every year, this year I can’t help but feel like April is just a little bit better than normal. Part of that reason is because last year in April, everything was shut down across the country.
Baseball season and the Kentucky Derby were both delayed. But this year, things are back on schedule, albeit with limited capacity for live audiences. Still, it’s nice to see that this April, the world is getting just a little more back to normal. This April is also particularly nice because taxes were delayed until May, and any month we don’t have to do taxes is a good month! There are a lot of beautiful places in the United States, and Kentucky is definitely one of them. April is my favorite month of the year because it’s when the state’s natural beauty really gets to shine. I’m grateful I get to call Kentucky, and Lexington in particular, my home. I hope you have reasons to be grateful for living in Kentucky too, and you’re as excited as I am about more and more means for enjoying this month opening back up. -Doug Barnes
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On Aug. 4, Jo Ann suffered from a heart attack. Jack was out of town on a fishing trip, and even though Jo Ann cried for help and even threw an alarm clock out the window, no one heard her cries from their somewhat secluded home. The family’s dog, Bear, barked and barked to no avail. Lulu, however, knew Jo Ann needed help quickly and waddled into action. Lulu made her way to the nearest road, scraping her skin in the process and leaving it torn and bleeding. Once she reached the road, she laid down as if to play dead. Not long after that, a passing driver saw Lulu and stopped to check on her. Once Lulu was sure she had the driver’s attention, she got up and waddled back toward her home, leading the driver to where Jo Ann lay on the floor. When the driver found Jo Ann, he immediately called 911, and emergency services took her to a medical center for open-heart surgery. Had just 15 more minutes passed without help, Jo Ann would have died. For her heroism, Lulu received the Tiffany gold hero’s medal from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and made multiple television appearances as her fame spread. Hopefully, she was smart enough to know just how much she was appreciated. MAN’S SMARTEST FRIEND Lulu the Pot-Bellied Pig’s Cunning Plan to Save Her Owner
According to animal experts, pigs are smarter than any other domestic animal, including cats and dogs. That may seem hard to believe, as you probably associate pigs with a pink, smelly animal that oinks and rolls around in the muck. However, the story of how Lulu the pot-bellied pig saved her owner’s life might persuade you to reconsider. Back in 1998 (otherwise this story would have certainly gone viral), Lulu the pig was a permanent fixture at Jo Ann and Jack Altsman’s property in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. They had initially only taken Lulu from her original owner, the Altsmans’ daughter, for a temporary stay, but they ended up bonding with Lulu, and she was with them for much longer than expected.
Scrubbing Their Way Into the Soap Industry
How Dr. Squatch Found Its Foothold
One of the keys to starting a successful business is to market a new idea. That’s why so many startups these days come from the digital frontier — it’s where all the new ideas are. However, with a keen eye for how you can fill a niche in an already saturated industry, you can still make millions. That’s the story behind Jack Haldrup’s company, Dr. Squatch.
That said, those soaps weren’t making it beyond the farmers markets to where the average guy would be likely to purchase them. Soaps have been marketed almost exclusively to women — and Haldrup wanted to change that. Thus, the all-natural bar soap from Dr. Squatch was born.
Haldrup had found a unique angle in the bar soap industry: a soap made for men, marketed to men. However, in this digital age, a niche product is only as valuable as your ability to market it. Haldrup took a risk early on and paid $20,000 for a humorous, professionally done video ad. It paid off, garnering Dr. Squatch another 6,000 subscribers. The video has around 114 million views now.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because they aired their product at the Super Bowl earlier this year, that product being bar soap. That’s right — Haldrup has made his millions off bar soap.
Haldrup’s introduction to the bar soap market began with a personal need for a different kind of soap. He has a common autoimmune skin condition called psoriasis, which means regular supermarket soaps cause his skin to burn and become dry and irritated. However, when he started buying gentler, natural soaps from farmers markets, he realized those soaps were better for anyone’s skin, not just someone with a skin condition.
A viral video is one thing, but a Super Bowl ad is quite another. After the ad aired, 63% of males reported a “positive intent” from the ad and engaged with the brand after that. It just goes to show how far an innovative product and approach to marketing can take your business in an industry that once seemed scrubbed free of niches.
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WANT A BETTER NIGHT’S REST? Don’t Sleep on These Tracking Devices
Sleep is essential for good health. It recharges your body and helps you start your day refreshed and alert. With so many wearable devices and sleep tracking apps on the market now, you may be wondering if you should be tracking your sleep.
others clip onto a pillow or monitor from a bedside table. Many track your heartbeat and movement. It’s important to keep in mind that while sleep trackers can provide valuable insights, the data they produce is based on an estimate rather than a direct measurement. For a full analysis of your sleep patterns, you should schedule a sleep study. WHICH DEVICE SHOULD YOU GET? There are many trackers out there — including medical-grade trackers — so how do you decide which is right for you? You’ll want to assess both the cost of the device and the kind of data you’d like to collect. The Actiwatch is a medical-grade tracker that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is often used by doctors. However, it can cost up to several thousand dollars. Store- bought sleep trackers are not as accurate as the Actiwatch, but they are more affordable and still provide useful insights. If you choose to use a Fitbit, Jawbone Up, or an Android watch, you should track your nightly sleep as well as any naps you take throughout the day to get the best results. If you are having a severe case of insomnia, narcolepsy, or any other sleeping disorder, it’s essential to speak to your doctor who knows your medical history. They can help you find the best solution to a good night’s rest.
If any of the following apply to you, you may benefit from using a sleep tracker.
• You have difficulty sleeping soundly. You wake up repeatedly throughout the night, either due to environmental noises (a snoring partner) or a sleep disorder (sleep apnea). • You feel exhausted during the day. When you don’t get enough sleep at night, you’ll feel tired during the day and may have difficulty focusing and be less productive. • You want to improve your performance. Whether you’re an athlete or you simply want to do your best at work, consistently getting a full night’s sleep is essential. WHAT DO SLEEP TRACKERS MONITOR? A typical sleep tracker monitors your sleep phases, quality, duration, and environmental factors. Some devices strap to your wrist, while
TAKE A BREAK
MEET BECKETT AND KELSEY
DOUG’S INSEPARABLE GOLDENDOODLES
Sometimes, when you’re trying to decide between getting two different things, the only right option is to just get them both. That’s what Doug and his wife Marilyn decided when they got their two goldendoodles, Beckett and Kelsey. When Doug decided he wanted one, and Marilyn the other, they simply decided to take both puppies home. You would never guess that Beckett and Kelsey came from the same litter. Kelsey is full of energy, yet laid back, and always minds very well. Beckett is independent, smart, and only minds when she wants to. Nevertheless, they’re inseparable. The dogs’ favorite activity is running on trails and on the beach as well as playing fetch and competing to see who can get the ball first. And, like any kid who’s spoiled rotten, they both get way too many treats!
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE GREEN GRASS, BASEBALL SEASON, AND HORSE RACES PAGE 1 HOW LULU THE PIG SAVED HER OWNER
FROM A HEART ATTACK THE DR. SQUATCH STORY PAGE 2 DON’T SLEEP ON THIS ADVICE THE PUPS OF POP-A-LOCK PAGE 3 4 MLB TEAMS POISED FOR A GREAT SEASON PAGE 4
DON’T COUNT THEM OUT 4 Teams to Watch This Baseball Season
This is no joke: The 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) season will begin on April 1. While you may wonder whether the Los Angeles Dodgers can repeat as champs or if the Tampa Bay Rays can exact their revenge, don’t count these four teams out just yet. MINNESOTA TWINS You don’t make it to the playoffs with the best record in all of baseball and not make it into some kind of list. The Twins are going to be a fun team to watch because they have a chip on their shoulders. While the team managed to score 269 runs in just 60 games, they also lost their record- breaking 18th straight playoff game in 2020. If they can get consistent pitching, from starters and relievers, they will be in the hunt at the end of September. DETROIT TIGERS There is a benefit to repeatedly being near the bottom of the league: You get good draft picks. The Tigers are on the cusp of finding that special blend of offense and defense in the coming season thanks to some much-needed depth by up-and-coming pitchers and first-
round draft picks — so much so that Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has them as the top team that missed the playoffs in 2020 who could make a solid run. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS The award for best offseason ought to go to the Cardinals, who, all winter long, appear to have outwitted their Milwaukee and Chicago rivals — the Brewers and Cubs were the top two teams in the National League Central last year — by acquiring third baseman Nolan Arenado and re-signing Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina. The Cardinals are favored to win the Central if those off-season moves pay off. SAN DIEGO PADRES After acquiring Manny Machado in a big trade in 2019, the Padres have continued to improve, especially against difficult opponents. The Padres were a tough team last year, defeating the Cardinals in the wild card round and losing to the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Expect them to be near the top of the standings in September.
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