Carat Is Way Hip

What?

Oh! Carrots are way hip, like the vegetable man...I get it now. No you don’t have to shout, I said I get it.
The article starts, “Name a snack food that's neon orange and makes a loud crunch when munched.” That’s always a good start because we have to be talking about some form of cheesy poof or maybe a spicy corn tortilla chip.

The carrot growers of America want to let you know they have a horse in this race too. It’s Baby Carrots (not to be confused with Baby Carat currently in utero) those little orange bits of crunchy goodness that make dogs and rabbits flip their lids and lift their paws. Bolthouse Farms and 50+ other carrot growers are pushing a brand new marketing campaign to turn kids (and adults) on to their bite-sized snack.

I applaud this move. Well actually I could care less about the TV spots and the billboards. What I endorse is the new packaging (see pic) they have made to look like the chips kids love and the push to get the buggers into school vending machines. But as experts predict, “I don't think Frito-Lay will be trembling.”

Nope they won’t be trembling but I want to get some more idea as to how they can make these shelf stable to stay in the machines as long as the coffee bun that has been staring you in the face since you started school 6 years ago. Good Luck with that.

So We’ve Been Calling Him By the Wrong Name?

Yikes. It looks like we’ve been calling the kid by the wrong name for the last 4 months? Really? What the hell can be the difference between “Karat” (like we’ve been calling him) and “Carat” (evidently what we should be calling him)? Well jewelry designer, Holly Kincad shares this:

Carats Vs Karats: What is the difference?

If you are in the business of using, buying or even wearing gemstones and precious metals, you should be aware that these two words mean very different things. Shopping for jewelry, findings and materials should make much more sense after you read this article about Carats vs Karats.

Carat
A Carat is a weight measurement in reference to precious gemstones such as Diamonds, Sapphires, Rubies, etc. Many people think a carat is referring to the size of the gemstones, however, it is a measurement of weight. While the weight does effect the size of the gemstones, a carat is not a measurement of length, mass or volume. The Carat, along with the purity of the gemstone is what determines the price of the precious stones.

Karat
A Karat is the measurement of the purity of gold. Gold itself is very soft, and like silver, it needs to be alloyed with other metals to make it stronger and less expensive. 24 karat gold is considered pure gold, or 100% gold. While many people think 24 karat gold is the best quality you can buy, the soft metal is less durable and it can scratch or damage easily. To prevent this, gold is alloyed with metals such as silver, copper and zinc. When producing white gold alloys, nickel, copper and zinc are used. So, the karat is measured by the ratio of gold to the alloyed metal. 18 karat gold is 3/4 gold or 0.750 gold, 14 karat gold is 14/24 gold or 0.583 gold, etc.

Although the karat does determine the value of the gold, it does not tell us the price we are paying for gold. After you have determined the karat of gold you would like, the final step in determining the price of your gold is it's weight, how much gold are you purchasing? Precious metals are measured in Troy Ounces, one Troy Ounce is equal to about 31.1 grams. There are 12 ounces per Troy pound. Oh yea, and did I mention that the price of precious metals is variable?

Well it looks like I stand corrected so from hence forth the kid shall be known as “Carat” Bloggerman, JR, ESQ, LLP, INC. Yep...sounds good to me too.