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When a friend and I began investing in thoroughbreds in 2018, it wasn’t fantasies of running in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes that excited us most. It was naming the racehorses. We’d seen California Chrome and American Pharoah etch their names in the sports lexicon. And while producing a horse of that caliber was a longshot, just the prospect of the announcer yelling, “Here comes [name we chose] down the stretch!” was unexpectedly thrilling. This weekend’s Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, features some elite thoroughbreds, and even some better names. Journalism, the favorite, has arguably the best name in the field. American Promise has obvious American Pharoah vibes and was sired by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justifyanother iconic moniker. On name alone, Id put my money on Sandman. And while betting on the horse with the best name is the equivalent of my 10-year-old daughter rooting for the Miami Dolphins because their uniforms are pretty, for a niche sport that becomes the center of the sports world for six weeks in the spring, sometimes the name is all we’ve got. For owners to choose a name worth rooting for, there are some tricksand rulesto follow. The Basics All racehorses are given the birth date of January 1 of the year they were born, regardless of their actual birthday. Then, the clock starts ticking. Owners must give their horses an official, registered name by February of their second year, or face late registration fees from horse racing’s administrative hub, The Jockey Club. Before receiving their official monikers, these nameless thoroughbreds are typically referred to by combinations of their sire and dam’s names (their father and mother) along with a description. For instance, the horse As Time Goes By was previously known as bay mare by American Pharoah out of Take Charge Lady. Sometimes they go by just the dams name and the birth year2020 chestnut gelding out of Sunrise Glow. Kind of like how COVID-19 got its name, or how scientists would name a newly discovered planet. Owners must submit six different name options to The Jockey Club for consideration, each of which must follow the clubs specific rules. The Science Racehorse naming follows strict guidelines. Before Twitter, horse racing featured the original character limit. Names cannot exceed 18 characters, including spaces and punctuation. This explains compact names like Shutthefrontdoor and Keepmeinmind. Additionally, names are limited to seven syllables, with 2003 Kentucky Derby contender Atswhatimtalkinbout pushing character, syllable, and pronunciation limits to the extreme. Using initials is also prohibited, as are numbersunless spelled out, as exhibited by 1988 Derby runner-up Forty Niner. Horse-related terms like filly, colt, mare, and stallion are also forbidden, as are official course and race titles. Names with obvious commercial value are also immediately rejected. Nobody wants to see a horse named Coca-Cola or TikTok leading the field down the stretch. The art Uniqueness is nonnegotiable. No horse can share a name with another currently racing or one that has raced or bred in the previous 10 years. For stallions, the name protection extends to 15 years after they’ve stopped breeding, while winners of Grade 1 stakes racesthe highest echelon of the sportare protected for 25 years. And just like sports teams retire jersey numbers, names like Secretariat, Man o’ War, and Seattle Slew are forever on the restricted list and can never be reused. To check a names availability, owners can verify it against the Jockey Club registry. Personal names are also tricky. A horse cannot be named after a famous person or someone who’s been dead for less than 50 years without written permission from them or their family. I learned this firsthand when I tried to name one of our horses Mookie Blaylock as an ode to Pearl Jam, which the band used as its original name before changing it, and was informed I needed permission, which wasnt worth the trouble. One of the most famous stories of a celebrity-named horse came in 1991, when then-First Lady Barbara Bush gave her written consent to the owner of a filly out of Kentucky to use her name, but the horse made only two starts and earned just $102 in winnings. Finally, the Jockey Club strictly prohibits vulgar, obscene, or offensive names. Previously rejected names include Ben Dover and Sofa King Fast, though occasionally, somelike Hoof Heartedslip past the censors. The craft Casual and seasonal horse racing enthusiasts remember names like California Chrome and Smarty Jones, both Derby winners. But who remembers Orb, or Mage? Both also won the Derby, but their names dont inspire, so theyre largely forgotten. To craft a unique, memorable name that bettors want to root for, many owners look to their horse’s physical characteristics. A foal with a distinctive scar might earn a boxing-related name like Haymaker, turning an imperfection into a memorable identity. The most common tradition is incorporating the parents’ names, like a nominal family tree, as 2023 Derby contender Tapit Trice did when it combined sire Tapit with dam Danzatrice (Italian for ballerina), creating a name that honors both bloodlines. The biggest breeders have more sophisticated racehorse naming strategies. Susan Magnier, who names the racehorses at Coolmore in the UK, reserves grand names for their most promising colts. The name Camelot was stored in her diary for nearly 10 years before a worthy horse emerged. That horse went on to win six of the 10 races he started across Ireland and Great Britain in 201113, doing the moniker justice. From Bananas on Fire to Sandman My partner and I had four horses to name. One name Ive already forgotten, as it was gven to a forgettable horse. Another we dubbed Artillerystrong, singular, and assertive. A third we named Queen Karma. We liked the implied royalty combined with the mysticism and alliteration. But the name that caught the attention of bettors and emerged as the best in the stable was Bananas on Fire, a nod to our favorite beer from a local Lake Oswego brewery. Hardly Secretariat or Seabiscuit, but it was fun. Which is where many owners land. While theres no Bananas on Fire in this weekends Preakness, we do have Journalism. We have River Thames, Goal Oriented, and Pay Billy. Sovereignty, another strong name, won the Derby but wont be running the Preakness, so theres no shot at a Triple Crown this year. So if were going on name alone, even with Journalism locked in as the favorite, Ill still put my money on the best name in the field. Give me Sandman.
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When I lived in Florida, I had a neighbor named Ms. Carmen. She was in her late 70s, fiercely independent, and lived alone with her two dogs and one cat, which were her closest companions. Each hurricane season, she would anxiously ask if I would check on her when the winds began to pick up. She once told me: “Im more afraid of being forgotten than of the storm itself.” Her fear wasnt just about the weather; it was about facing it alone. When hurricanes hit, we often measure the damage in downed power lines, flooded roads, and wind-torn homes. But some of the most serious consequences are harder to see, especially for older adults who may struggle with mobility, chronic health problems, and cognitive decline. Emergency preparedness plans too often overlook the specific needs of elders in Americas aging population, many of whom live alone. For people like Ms. Carmen, resilience needs to start long before the storm. The number of older adults in the U.S. and the percentage of the population age 65 and older have been rising. [Image: US Census Bureau] I study disaster preparations and response. To prepare for hurricane season, and any other disaster, I encourage families to work with their older adults now to create an emergency plan. Preparing can help ensure that older adults will be safe and able to contact relatives or others for help, and will have the medications, documents and supplies they need, as well as the peace of mind of knowing what steps to take. Recent hurricanes show the gaps In 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton put a spotlight on the risks to older adults. The storms forced thousands of people to evacuate, often to shelters with little more than food supplies and mattresses on the floor, and ill-equipped for medical needs. Flooding isolated many rural homes, stranding older adults. Power was out for weeks in some areas. Emergency systems were overwhelmed. A tornado tore into a senior community in Port St. Lucie, Florida, during Milton, killing six people. Some long-term care facilities lost power and water during Helene. At the same time, some older adults chose to stay in homes in harms way for fear that they would be separated from their pets or that their homes would be vandalized. These events are not just tragic; they are predictable. Many older adults cannot evacuate without assistance, and many evacuation centers arent prepared to handle their needs. How to prepare: 5 key steps Helping older adults prepare for emergencies should involve the entire family so everyone knows what to expect. The best plans are personal, practical, and proactive, but they will contain some common elements. Here are five important steps: 1. Prepare an emergency folder with important documents. Disasters can leave older adults without essential information and supplies that they need, such as prescription lists, financial records, medical devices andimportantlycontact information to reach family, friends, and neighbors who could help them. Many older adults rely on preprogrammed phone numbers. If their phone is lost or the battery dies, they may not know how to reach friends or loved ones, so its useful to have a hard copy of phone numbers. Consider encouraging the use of medical ID bracelets or cards for those with memory loss. Hurricane season begins June 1. Dont wait until its too late.To prepare ahead you can develop an evacuation plan, assemble a disaster supply kit, create a communications plan and more.For more hurricane preparedness tips, visit: https://t.co/gG4ogHLnOg pic.twitter.com/Wukb1C1CUt— Polk Emergency Mgmt (@polkemergency) May 6, 2025 Critical documents like wills, home deeds, powers of attorney, and insurance records are frequently kept in physical form and may be forgotten or lost in a sudden evacuation. Use waterproof storage thats easy to carry, and share copies with trusted caregivers and family members in case those documents are lost. 2. Have backup medications and equipment. Think about that persons assistive devices and health needs. Having extra batteries on hand is important, as is remembering to bring chargers and personal mobility aids, such as walkers, canes, mobility scooters, or wheelchairs. Do not forget that service animals support mobility, so having supplies of their food will be important during a hurricane or evacuation. Ask doctors to provide an emergency set of medications in case supplies run low in a disaster. If the person is staying in their home, prepare for at least 72 hours of self-sufficiency in case the power goes out. That means having enough bottled water, extra pet food, and human food that doesnt need refrigeration or cooking. 3. Map evacuation routes and shelter options. Identify nearby shelters that will likely be able to support older adults mobility and cognitive challenges. If the person has pets, make a plan for them, toomany areas will have at least one pet-friendly shelter, but not all shelters will take pets. Figure out how the person will get to a shelter, and have a backup plan in case their usual transportation isnt an option. And decide where they will go and how they will get there if they cant return home after a storm. If your loved one lives in a care facility, ask to see that facilitys hurricane plan. 4. Create a multiperson check-in system. Dont rely on just one caregiver or family member to check on older adults. Involve neighbors, faith communities, or local services such as home-delivered meals, transportation assistance, support groups, and senior centers. Redundancy is crucial when systems break down. 5. Practice the plan. Go through evacuation steps in advance so everyone knows what to do. Executing the plan should be second nature, not a scramble during a disaster or crisis. Planning with, not just for, older adults Emergency planning isnt something done for older adultsits something done with them. Elders bring not only vulnerability but also wisdom. Their preferences and autonomy will have to guide decisions for the plan to be successful in a crisis. That means listening to their needs, honoring their independence, and making sure caregivers have realistic plans in place. Its an important shift from just reacting to a storm to preparing with purpose. Lee Ann Rawlins Williams is a clinical assistant professor of education, health and behavior studies at the University of North Dakota. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Americans often receive a lot of grief for being less internationally traveled than citizens of other countries. But in recent years, more Americans are traveling abroad than ever before. Numbers compiled by the digital magazine Travel and Tour World (TTW) show that in March 2025, 6.56 million Americans flew outside of the country. Thats 1.6% more than the same period a year earlier, and more than 22% more than in 2019the year before the pandemic caused international travel to grind to a halt. TTW cites pent-up demand, strong personal savings among affluent demographics, and a growing appetite for immersive cultural experiences as the main reasons more Americans are traveling overseas. And those numbers from March will likely increase this month as the school season ends and Americans start heading out on summer vacations, especially since ticket prices have been dropping lately as airlines lower their fares to entice inflation-wary consumers to travel. But if it’s your first time traveling internationally, you may not be aware that the reigning transportation and mapping app kings in the United States, Google Maps and Apple Maps, arent always the best to use in other countries. There are others that will enable you to navigate new lands more easily, especially the abundant public transportation options that most other countries offer. With that in mind, here are some apps to download before you head out on your global travels. Citymapper Citymapper is probably the most recognizable app on this list, and thats because it does one thing better than nearly any other app: It helps you navigate some of the worlds best cities, whether that be by foot, car, bicycle, scooter, tram, ferry, or other city-specific modes of transitway more modes than Apple or Google offers in most locales. Citymapper is already pretty popular in America because it helps residents and visitors in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., get around. However, while the app supports just 28 cities in America, it supports 72 in Europe, along with prominent Asian destinations, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Moovit If you need public transit directions in America or most major European cities, Google Maps or Apple Maps can do a decent job of getting you from point A to point B. But if you are in less frequently traveled countries of the world, you’ll find that Google Maps and Apple Maps dont always reveal all the public transportation options that are available when trying to get across a cityor from city to city. Thankfully, theres Moovit, which boasts public transit directions for more than 112 countries and 3,400 cities across the globeincluding many in the Global South, which many transit apps frequently overlook. If you are traveling in Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, or large parts of Asia, Moovit will likely show you the most public transportation options available. Another great thing about the app is that it lets you download a citys transit maps for offline viewing. Naver Map Few countries have a geopolitical postwar history that’s as fascinating as South Korea. The country, which is still technically at war with North Korea, rapidly industrialized after the 1960s to become one of the worlds most economically and technologically advanced nations. If you plan to visit South Korea, be sure to download Naver Map before you go. Naver Map is the Google Maps of South Korea, and it features nearly everything you would expect to find in Google Maps, including transportation directions and business listings. You can still use Google Maps or Apple Maps in South Korea, but their real-time transportation direction capabilities are significantly nerfed. Thats because South Korean law requires mapping providers to store their mapping data within the countrysomething neither Google nor Apple does. And yes, while Naver Map is predominantly used by locals, the smartphone app is also available in English, making it a must-have for American visitors. Rome2Rio The apps above are mostly very city- or country-specific. But what if you are going on a multination journeysay from Portugal to Finlandand stopping at multiple cities on the way? There is probably no better app that helps you get from one country to another than Rome2Rio. Fast Company has previously spotlighted the platformwhich is basically like a Google Maps for major modes of travel between any two points on the planetbut it’s worth mentioning here again because it is so useful (and the smartphone app is great). Rome2Rio will show you how to navigate between two placesno matter if by car, train, bus, plane, or ferryand show you how much it is likely to cost based on your selected mode of transport. Transit Finally, it’s worth mentioning that one of the easiest transportation apps to use is Transit, thanks to its excellent user interface, which makes following step-by-step transit directions a cinch. As soon as you open the app, youll instantly see the public transport options closest to youno searching required. It also displays route options in a color-coded bar chart format, letting you choose the best one for you at a glance. Transit is currently available in 25 countries and over 870 cities. The majority of those cities are in the United States, Canada, and France, but the app also supports major cities in popular destinations for U.S. tourists, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other select global cities.
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