Ron the Yarnspinner

  Malted Milk Memories Gramps had a certain look in his eye as he methodically improved his McDonald's shake. He had a habit of turning simple questions into full-blown lessons. Ask him the time, and he'd probably explain how to build a clock. I could tell this was about to become one of those moments. My question opened a door to the past, where memories seemed neatly stored like books on a library shelf. His big Horlicks can looked perfectly at home among blue mason jars on rough-hewn wooden shelves, beneath rusty hand tools hanging from knotty pine walls—the kind of scene you might expect to find at Cracker Barrel . I always liked places like that. They felt less like restaurants and more like a shared living room, where nobody was in a hurry. Neither was Gramps. I just hoped I wouldn’t be late for soccer practice.   “Because, Sonny, before there were milkshakes, there was malt. And before malt was in milkshakes, it was in a drink called Horlicks. I like a ‘real’ ...

  From Malted Milks to the Milky Way How Stephen Poplawski's Blender Changed the World   Poplawskizer……somehow the name does not exactly roll off the tongue as easily as Osterizer, yet. Stephen J. Poplawski is recognized as the father of this kitchen appliance that John Oster made a household name. Poplawski was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 19, 1892. He had a background in engineering and manufacturing. Milwaukee, known for its rich history in manufacturing and industry, provided a suitable backdrop for Poplawski’s innovations in kitchen appliances. In 1922, he invented the first electric blender, which he simply called the “Blender,” and it was specifically designed to make malted milk drinks. His machine featured   stainless steel blades and a rotating mechanism that could mix and blend ingredients efficiently. This   was a significant advancement in kitchen appliances, paving the way for the versatile blenders used in households today. This ...

When You Mess with Mother Nature What me Worry?” Alfred E. Neuman from MAD Magazine. Picture a quiet but far away corner of the world… a place where wisdom sometimes trails behind ambition, and where a man—blessed with time, money, and just enough knowledge to be dangerous—decides that nature could use a little help. Meet Thomas Austin, self-appointed architect of the new and improved. A man who looked at the ancient balance of tooth and nail, root and rain, fire and frost… and concluded it could be improved with a little adjustment. But every adjustment demands correction. And in the quiet overgrowth of a world down under,  lies a lesson  for the next man with too much time, too much money… and not nearly enough caution.   “ There’s plenty of room for all of Alaska’s animals — right next to the mashed potatoes.”   Sarah Palin Like former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Austin had the same fondness for animals—particularly rabbits. But there were...

  Sitting Ducks Ready, Aim, Abandon Ship   Ed had a choice, the Naval Armed Guard, or the Submarine Service. “Subs, Sir!” That is how my Uncle Ed became a submariner during WW II. “Those guys served on floating coffins. They were sitting ducks,” he told me. In the end, both branches of the Navy suffered heavy losses.. Assigned to protect merchant sailors, and ships, these members of the U.S. Naval Armed Guard were unsung heroes of World War II. Often mistaken for members of the Merchant Marine, the Armed Guard was a special branch of the U.S. Navy assigned to defend merchant ships and troop carriers against enemy attack. The men fought with little fanfare. They were the Navy’s stepchildren. The men in the Armed Guard knew the odds were against them, and many believed theirs was indeed a suicide mission. Representing this were two signs posted at a training center. The first declared, “Ready—Aim—Abandon ship!” The other, playing on the signal “Sub sighted, sank same,”...