Ch-ch-ch-Changes
The shoe retailer Allbirds made a big change last week. Are they making a different kind of footwear? No, actually they’ve “pivoted to AI.”
Good for them?
Their stock jumped 582 percent overnight. Which just proves that I know nothing about stocks, artificial intelligence, or shoes, apparently.
This would be like the Post no longer publishing a magazine and web site and instead becoming a mail order gourmet pickle company.
How would this work with other companies?
KFC. We Do Chicken Right. Wait, No, Now We Make Drones.
Got Milk? No, But We Have Crypto!
Think Outside the Bun. Way Outside the Bun. Taco Bell is Now Part of Avis Car Rental.
New and Improved?
What is your idea of “fancy?”
Kraft Mac & Cheese, that old supermarket stalwart in the blue box, is coming out with a line of products some might call “fancy.” They’re restaurant-inspired upgrades to their mac & cheese line that includes flavors like Parmesan Pesto, Romano Cacio e Pepe, and Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion.
They all sound good, but do we really buy Kraft Mac & Cheese for “restaurant-inspired” flavors? Kraft Mac & Cheese has a very distinct flavor, and that’s the reason we buy it. That and it’s easy to make and also there’s a nostalgia factor.
Having said that, of course I’m going to try them.
Dinner Conversation
Once you make the higher-end mac & cheese, gather your family around the dinner table and record what they say as they eat it.
Prego, not content to just make spaghetti sauce, has a new device you can place on your table to record the conversations you have with your family. It costs $20.
Of course, recording devices have existed for many years, and if we really wanted to record our dinner conversations we could have done it already. Won’t people be a little self-conscious, knowing that their voices are being recorded while they eat? Or is that an old-fashioned way of thinking when everyone has a camera and video on their phone and everyone spends all day taking selfies and posting all of their thoughts? The company says you can save the conversations forever, but I don’t know why a family would want to do that when a lot of dinner table conversation isn’t exactly happy or fun.
“What are we eating?”
“It’s the new restaurant-inspired Kraft Mac & Cheese.”
“What was wrong with the old mac & cheese?”
“It was just mac & cheese, it didn’t have fancy ingredients. This has caramelized onions.”
“This is the third time this week you’ve tried to introduce something new at dinner. This stuff is awful.”
“I thought I’d try something different! I thought you’d like it!”
“Look, I like what I like. You don’t have to keep changing things. You’re just like your mother.”
“I WANT A DIVORCE!”
“Mommy, are you and daddy getting a divorce because of the mac & cheese?
You can also upload your recordings to a “secure portal” online, and some of those conversations might make it to the Library of Congress.
So, to sum up: A pasta sauce company wants you to record your dinner conversations and then upload them to the cloud. Just like Chef Boyardee envisioned 100 years ago.
RIP Dave Mason, Alan Osmond, Patrick Muldoon, Roger Adams, Barbara Gordon, Joy Harmon, Don Schlitz, and Bob Hall
Dave Mason was a co-founder of the classic rock band Traffic and wrote such songs as “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe.” His solo songs include “We Just Disagree” and “Only You Know and I Know.” He also played on albums by The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Wings, and George Harrison. He died Sunday at the age of 79.
Uploaded to YouTube by Dave Mason
Alan Osmond was the oldest member of the Osmonds singing group. He died Monday at the age of 76.
Patrick Muldoon starred in Starship Troopers as well as in TV shows like Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives, and Saved by the Bell. He died Sunday at the age of 57.
Roger Adams invented Heelys, the sneakers with wheels. He died last month at the age of 71.
Barbara Gordon wrote the bestselling memoir I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can. She died earlier this month at the age of 90.
Joy Harmon was an actress best known as the woman washing the car in Cool Hand Luke. She was also Groucho Marx’s assistant on the game show Tell It to Groucho. She died earlier this month at the age of 87.
Don Schlitz wrote the hit Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler.” He died last week at the age of 73.
Bob Hall was the first wheelchair winner of the Boston Marathon. He died earlier this month at the age of 74.
This Week in History
San Francisco Earthquake (April 18, 1906)
It hit at 5:12 a.m., had a magnitude of 7.9, caused at least $350 million in damage, and killed an estimated 3000+ people.
Here’s footage of the aftermath discovered at a flea market, originally thought to be lost forever.
Uploaded to YouTube by PBS NewsHour
First Crossword Puzzle Book Published (April 18, 1924)
Not only was The Cross Word Puzzle Book the first crossword puzzle book that Simon and Schuster published, it was the first title they published period.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Nabisco Pretzels (April 23, 1960)
Pretzels have come a long way since 1960. We have flavors now they couldn’t have predicted then. Cheddar! Hot Buffalo Wing! Onion! Dill!
Sunday Is National Pretzel Day
If that wasn’t exciting enough, April is also National Soft Pretzel Month. And even though it was a couple of weeks ago, it’s not too late to celebrate Bretzelsonndeg. There are pretzels everywhere!
Sally’s Baking Addiction has a recipe for Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels, while Served From Scratch has one for Homemade Hard Pretzel Rods, if you don’t like your pretzels soft.
Allrecipes has a recipe for Pretzel Bread, Creme De La Crumb has Baked Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders, Food Network has Pretzel-Coated Cheese Balls, and for dessert, Taste of Home has this Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
Babe Ruth Day (April 27)
Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler first proclaimed Baby Ruth Day in 1947.
Of course, the Post covered the career of Ruth over the years.
May Day (May 1)
This is one of those holidays that I’ve heard of but now realize I know nothing about. If you’re the same, here’s a detailed explanation of what May Day is all about.
Become a Saturday Evening Post member and enjoy unlimited access. Subscribe now
