Week 35: Labor’s Day

September 8, 2023 Mike Keeler
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You can travel in style, but eventually you have to pay the bill. History remembers George Pullman as the inventor of the railroad sleeping car which is synonymous with his name. It was the perfect idea for the time, when the American railroad system was exploding after the Civil War,…
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Week 33: Killer Beans

August 17, 2023 Mike Keeler
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These things are so awesome and tasty, they’re killer. Way back in the 1500s, when the Spanish headed west to explore the Americas, they ran into many dangers. One of the more subtle perils was some curiously large seed pods they found growing in Peru. When the Spaniards opened them, they found…
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Week 32: Puzzle, 9 Letters

August 11, 2023 Mike Keeler
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Let me ask, what puzzle games do you play online? These days everyone’s into Wordle, and some have made the jump to Quordle or even Octordle. Last night my brother ruined my evening by introducing me to Nerdle. Do you try to figure out the number of degrees in Angle…
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Week 31: Put Up Your Duke’s

August 4, 2023 Mike Keeler
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At a humble sandwich counter at a fishing pier in coastal Carolina, the following conversation takes place: “Can I help you?” “Yes, two BLT’s please.” “Bread?” “Both on wheat toast” “Aw right. You want any Duke’s on those?” Pause… OK, here’s what you need to know about the condiment business in…
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Week 29: It’s All Relative

July 21, 2023 Mike Keeler
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It’s summertime, and I’m too lazy to write something new. And, since it’s also a good time to go see friends and family, I was reminded of an old essay I wrote in 2017… It’s about a study that started way back in 1942. Researchers at Harvard set out to…
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Week 27: Heavenly Hellfire

July 7, 2023 Mike Keeler
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We’ve made it to midsummer. Lazy days, friends and family. Time to relax and recharge. And so it’s a perfect time for a CHEMISTRY LESSON! Yippee!! You may recall from your high school science class that cellular energy is commonly known as ATP, or Adenosine Triphosphate. It’s common to all living…
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